


A Heart for The Devil

by DumbassPotato



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Brotherly Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Gen Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DumbassPotato/pseuds/DumbassPotato
Summary: After their last battle in Temen-ni-gru, Dante managed to stop Vergil from falling into the Underworld. Defeated and humiliated, the eldest son of Sparda disappeared as soon as everything was over, leaving Dante behind.Eight years later, they finally meet each other again. Dante turned into a respected devil hunter, while Vergil continues his journey for power along with his newly discovered son.
Relationships: Dante & Vergil (Devil May Cry), Nero & Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 202





	1. Eight Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!

It was a lucky catch. When his brother opened his arms, ready to dive down into the Underworld, Dante was one step ahead and grabbed Yamato with all his strength just as the blade swung to repel him. The idiot was willing to give up the Force Edge upon defeat, but he wouldn't drop his beloved sword that easily.

One sucker punch later and Vergil's limp body was successfully dragged all the way to Temen-ni-gru's entrance, back in the human realm. Dante knew that the outcome he chose for the man who unleashed the demon tower was fer less deserving, but he was still his brother, and if he was going to pay for his actions he would do it there, where the damage was done, and start by helping the hunters clean the demon infested streets. Plus, to Vergil, having to live with his failure was already a great punishment.

Unfortunately, after they slayed the remaining enemies, the twin was nowhere to be seen. Lady was justifiably upset and threatened Dante with Kalina Ann's impossibly sharp bayonet. The son of Sparda promised that if his brother ever appeared with another world dooming scheme he would stop him no matter what. Dante might be a mess, and Vergil might be his only living relative, but he knew that it was his responsibility. And next time he would be stronger, ready to defeat him before another tragedy could even happen.

To Dante's misfortune, Lady discovered her bike was destroyed and he felt the rocket launcher's blade piercing his ribs anyway, regardless of his ability to keep promises.

Eight years have passed, and Vergil never showed up. There was no magical castle coming from the ground, no sudden welcome stabs and no parties. He was probably laying low, or mellowed out and decided to live a quiet life against all odds. While he didn't want to admit, the possibility that his brother died crawled in the back of his mind and occasionally plagued his nightmares. He could handle the idea of killing Vergil if it was the only option, it was the uncertainty that haunted him the most.

As for Dante, he was too busy and, as long as Vergil wasn't destroying a city or causing the apocalypse, he wasn't going to bother him. The schedule was getting tight with several, seemingly random attacks that started happening a couple of years ago, and the atmosphere was becoming more tense among fellow hunters, to the point where money wasn't the usual topic to argue about for once. Even Lady, who at first wouldn't stop nagging him to find his brother, didn't have time to care anymore.

Everything was going fine for the time being. A little hectic, but fine. Dante wouldn't complain about his current situation, not when he was eating the special pizza and chugging the fancy beer he reserved for weekends. He didn't even get a good hunt, he just wanted to indulge himself after another long day. It was almost a perfect week, the first one he had that year.

As if that was a sign for Fate, the familiar engine of a motorcycle approached his office, and soon enough Lady opened his door with a worried face.

"Of course something has to happen. This Saturday was way too perfect to be true."

"Dante..." Lady neither reciprocated the snarky attitude nor berated him. It was already a bad start.

With heavy steps, she walked to his desk and dumped his next job without ceremony. "There was an attack in a museum and a book has been stolen." The huntress started as Dante read the report, "The demons were eliminated before the local hunter was even notified."

"Sounds simple enough. Am I going to get paid for the demons that are already dead?"

"Maybe, if you're also willing to take the blame for theft and damage to several properties."

"I don't think that's how it works." Dante said, a little confused. "Anyway, cut the chatter and explain what's so special about this case."

Lady tossed a picture to Dante. It was a blurry screenshot from a security camera, showing blood splatters and demons cut in half. But the most intriguing part was the man in the middle of the scene. There was no identifiable features other than the pale colored hair and tall, imposing build, but that was enough information for both hunters.

"The locals reported that a strange, white haired man slayed all the demons and stole the book. The museum curator said that it was old, unimportant relic they found a long time ago, but you never know."

" _Great_. Absolutely _fantastic_." Dante could only sigh and drop his arms on the desk. Vergil was not only alive and well, but also planning another party, one that the devil hunter wasn't invited yet. Though the anxiety of the news was twisting his body uncomfortably, he felt a heavy burden lifting from his shoulders. The update on his brother was the worst and the best news he received in a while.

"He didn't do anything crazy that we know. Yet." Lady continued while grabbing a slice of pizza, "They also said he was wandering around with a small figure wearing a cloak. Could be a child or a goblin, but I bet he found a new partner in crime for another backstabbing show." The huntress didn't hide the cynicism in her words. It wasn't like the feeling was unfounded, nor there was any reason for her to give Vergil a chance.

Dante stood up and geared up, giving the rest of the pizza box to Lady. "I'm doing this. Alone." There was no reason to waste any more time with small talk.

"It's my responsibility after all." He said as he opened the front door, pretending to be cool headed about it.

It didn't take long for Dante to reach the small town. It was still too early and the locals were still sleeping, or they were hiding after the recent attacks. The hunter that was on the case suggested to leave them alone as they wouldn't share more information to strangers, especially to Dante and his white hair, barely hidden under a cheap ugly hat that he bought in the middle of the road, after realizing his features would raise suspicion.

To his disappointment, the area was clean. Dante made sure to inspect the streets and alleys, only to find no threats or evidence that something supernatural happened there, and the destruction could be easily blamed on vandals. Maybe his brother already left town after getting what he wanted, and if that was the case then the devil hunter would make sure to praise his efficiency when they met each other again.

Before Dante could turn his heels, he caught a small flash of light with the corner of his eye. It happened so fast he almost thought it was a lightning, but he was sure it came from a large, old looking house on the top of the hill. He didn't think twice before going towards the location.

As he approached his destination, Dante could smell the fresh demon blood and feel a strong presence ahead of him, making his spine chill in anticipation. The hunter silently pulled Ivory out of its holster and walked through the bushes, hoping to catch whatever was in the area before they could react. A couple of steps later and he reached the entrance of the house, which was clearly abandoned and lightly damaged by time and nature.

The moment he entered the yard, Dante stopped, uncertain of what to do next. Of all the things he expected to find there, a scrawny boy curled on the porch wasn't one of them. He was hidden under a thick hooded jacket that hid his arms and most of his face, making him look smaller and thinner than he should. His shorts also looked too big for his pale legs, almost covering his knees, and his feet were bare. He was probably an unlucky street kid using the house to hide from demons.

Oddly enough, he seemed to be staring directly at a surprised Dante, who made sure he was stealthy and well hidden. The hunter holstered his trusty pistol and slowly walked towards the boy, trying to not look like a threat and pretending he wasn't trying to ambush anything. When he reached the porch he decided to introduce himself.

"Hey kid-" The devil hunter couldn't finish his sentence as all the air was squeezed from his lungs and his vision blurred. He felt sharp claws pressing his whole torso, trying to crush his ribs.

Dante looked down and saw a blue spectral arm stretching and grabbing his body without mercy. The glowing limb extended from the child, who had his normal right arm raised.

"That wasn't very nice-" Dante barely managed to gasp, using his demonic strength to pry the claws open. The kid realized his prey was more powerful than he thought and lifted the hunter in the air, ready to throw him like a baseball. Dante didn't want to point his weapons at a child, demon or not, but he also didn't want to be tossed to the other side of the hill, waste time and put his investigation at risk. He let out a exasperated groan and tried to reach his guns, letting his unfashionable hat fall on the ground.

The child squeaked in surprise and his translucent arm lost its grip, enough to let Dante breath, but not enough to drop him. "You look just like-" He managed to speak. However, the door of the house suddenly opened and he was interrupted.

"Dante."

Vergil finally revealed himself, pulling his hair back and glaring at his twin with cold eyes, just like Dante remembered them. He still looked mostly the same, just like, well, Vergil, except he was rougher, with bags under his eyes and dirty hands. He wore a new blue coat, darker and heavier than the old one, and slightly tattered with small scratches, but still dignified. While he still had the same composure, his stance displayed a lot more aggression, like he could attack at any moment. It was probably because he was Dante, but he did feel a stronger barrier repelling him from the twin's little world.

" _Dad_! He looks just like you!" The kid exclaimed in confusion, looking at Vergil, then back at Dante, who froze with the revelation.

"An unfortunate fact." The elder twin said, irritated. "Release the grip, Nero. I'll take care of this."

"Is that a Dopple- Dopp-..." He was still confused, hesitating in his grip.

"Doppelganger and no, he's much worse. He's my brother." The man huffed and the boy gasped, making the spectral hand disappear.

Dante was still taken aback by the news and ungracefully landed on the ground, feeling the joints of his knees complain about the unprepared impact. Vergil being alive and causing some trouble were expected, but a son? That was unthinkable, an absolute madness.

He didn't have the time to recompose, as the familiar sound of Yamato unsheathing brought him back to reality and right into alert mode.

"What, no pre-fight chit-chat?" Dante raised his hands as a sign of peace, "I figure we can catch up before the blood spilling. You know, the news, the gossips, the stolen books..." He turned to the kid, Nero. "...And the children."

He extended his hand to the boy and smiled, ignoring Vergil's threatening glare that could pierce his soul. "Hey, sorry for spooking you, so let's start this again. Nice to meet ya, I'm Dante."

Vergil patted Nero's head and gently adjusted his hood, pulling him away from Dante. "Nero, go inside and grab our things, we're leaving now." Then he turned to his brother. "You can have the book."

The kid nodded silently and walked into the house as instructed, looking a little uncomfortable with the situation. Dante eyed his brother suspiciously. There had to be a scheme or a trick, no way Vergil would give up something he wanted, whatever it was. Either way, he wasn't as interested in his current task as he was in updating the family status, and that could be his only chance for a normal conversation before one of the twins went for the first hit.

"Cute kid, but odd fashion choices. He must be boiling under that huge jacket." He began, watching a barely visible Nero stuff a side bag through the window of the living room while Vergil stared so intensely at him he could physically feel it. "Has he been traveling with you for all these years? Must be quite a journey for him"

"I only met him two years ago and his condition is none of your concern."

"Ah, interesting. I wish I could ask more questions about my new nephew, but you're not going to tell me more, are you?" Dante stretched his arms as Vergil nodded and walked towards the yard. "Alright, I got the book, just need to beat some answers out of you, just like the old times."

"If you're so eager to die I can help you. I'll even make sure to leave that book on your grave when I finish this." The elder twin got in position and pointed his sword at him.

"Hey man, we can solve this without stabbing each other and, considering your track record, it would be a shame to embarrass a father in front of his child." He grinned. It didn't feel right to fight in front of a kid, but Vergil didn't care, and Nero was probably unfazed by the violence if he was hanging out with his father for more than a month. Besides, there was nothing that could stop him once he found something he wanted to fight. Not that he was that different in that regard.

"Very well." Vergil dismissed Yamato. Before Dante could cook another remark he felt the impact of a knuckle on his jaw, shattering his bones and biting his own tongue. It took a painful split second to realize his brother got a new pair of gauntlets and attacked right away instead of taunting back like he normally would. That little joke must have really hurt him.

The devil hunter flipped back, gaining some air and readied Ebony and Ivory. As he showered bullets down he could take a look at Vergil's new Devil Arms. They were beautiful silver gauntlets and boots with colorful highlights, definitely made with the demon metal, Gilgamesh. They seemed to fit his brother's tastes, displaying an Oni mask and and oriental ornaments, meaning he was either lucky to find them or the new weapon could change its look based on the user.

Vergil soaked the bullets, ignoring the damage and charging his fist until they glowed and let out a loud engine-like sound, inviting Dante for a challenge with a cocky grin. It was going to hurt, but he wasn't one to dodge and lose a chicken game. With Force Edge, the devil hunter prepared to cut downwards and clash against the incoming uppercut.

The impact between the brothers was so intense bones crackled and muscles burned. The arena shook around them, not ready for the shockwave. By the time both opponents landed on the ground their bodies already healed, ready for another hit. Vergil was the first one to open his mouth, crackling his knuckles.

"I thought you didn't want _stabs_ , brother. Are you so unconfident you have to use our father's sword?"

Dante chuckled dismissively. "Nice weapon. Reminds me I need a new pair of mittens."

"What happened to _my_ Beowulf?"

" _Your_?! _I'm_ the one who fought that bastard, you just had the victory lap and then dropped it like a dunce!"

Vergil was about to spat more words when Nero came to the yard, ignoring the childish fight and tugged his father's coat. He uncovered his right sleeve, revealing a glowing demonic arm. "There are demons, in the other side of town. I think they are coming here."

Dante looked curiously at the scene, but the moment Nero noticed he covered his arm and hid behind his father. That would explain the fashion disaster, besides Vergil's questionable taste. He decided to lower his stance, even though Vergil looked ready to kick him. "Great, we can't even have a rematch in peace nowadays. How about a little warm up with the intruders before kicking each other's asses?"

Vergil thought for a few seconds before dismissing his Devil Arm. He picked the kid and took the book from his bag. "Feel free to warm up all you want, we're not interested. Here, have your moldy paper stack."

The demons violently crashed on the house, damaging the roof. Vergil threw the book at the incoming horde and leaped on a tree with Nero. Before diving into the dense forest, he looked behind his back, his smug aura doing extra damage to Dante's blood pressure. "A piece of advice, you see all these demons crawling around lately? It's just the beginning. You should prepare yourself for the worst."

The last thing Dante saw before they jumped away was Nero sticking his tongue out at him. The devil hunter cursed under his breath, promising next time he wouldn't be so nice, with or without children involved.


	2. Angel's Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long! I had a busy month and lost a had some trouble writing this chapter, including some lost drafts. Hopefully I'll finish this story in time.  
> Anyway, thanks for sticking around!

Lady drove the old car with urgency, cursing the quality of the dirt path and the morning fog, while Dante looked distracted at the unending pine forest around them. They spent most of the night on the road discussing their next objective, so they were already drained before starting the day.

As if Vergil weren't enough stress in Dante's life, the past week crushed his patience. The book was saved, but it was so damaged the museum refused to pay. With Lady's help, he managed to get a copy of said book and they spent three days reading for clues. It told several tales of people who gave their hearts to an angel, who in return gave them weapons and introduced them to his world. That meant several separate researches in order to find which one was Vergil's target. Luckily they discovered that the old house on the hill belonged to a historian who was obsessed with the tales, and finally they managed to funnel their efforts into the only three options that were plausible, and only one location that was not destroyed.

"So you open your heart and an angel just gives you a present? Sounds like a fairy tale..." Lady sighed, squinting her eyes to watch the road. "...But you never know these days. Got any ideas?"

"Frankly, it sounds like nonsense." Dante looked at the documents mindlessly. "But the fact that similar stories happened in different places and different times means that something's up."

"Your brother seems interested in them. Do you think it could be Sparda? Even if he was never described as an angel, he did help a lot of humans fight demons."

Dante thought for a couple of seconds before laughing at Lady's face. In response, the huntress made a dangerously sharp turn on the straight road just to make him hit his head on the window, but that didn't stop the devil hunter from mocking her.

"Sorry, the lack of sleep made this way funnier than it should be." He recomposed after rubbing his face.

"I mean, why else would Vergil be interested in these? He's no the type to go after random legends." Lady defended in a defeated tone.

Dante shrugged. "I have no idea."

He didn't want to talk about the obvious answer, Mundus. Although he forced Vergil to realize he wasn't ready to throw his life away in Temen-Ni-Gru, he would've never that imagined his twin would go after their enemy's legacy for power. At least that was his initial hunch.

"And he's also dragging his son around for eight years?" The huntress questioned.

She was already unhappy with the recent events, and after learning about Nero her mood darkened considerably. In fact, he was one of the reasons Lady was there to give a hand, despite Dante's protests, insisting she owned him for "delivering her father on a silver platter". It was easy to understand why the situation bothered her, but the huntress always kept her grudges to herself.

"Two years, according to him. Well, to be fair I don't know anything about the kid, or what's going on between them."

Dante spent a lot of time thinking about Nero, uncertain about how to deal with that curveball. The kid was a real brat and willing to help his father, however it was too early to judge him or Vergil's parenting skills, and he would rather not fight him if possible. Regardless, his brother was the priority, he could ground his nephew later.

They finally parked at the end of the road and left the car with joy. Lady was the first to leave on a hurry, excited to stretch her legs. She would patrol the area since the huntress also managed arrange a job to investigate local demon attacks, so it was a two birds one stone situation for her.

Dante took his time stomping his way through, slowly reaching a moss covered ruin and attracting the attention of the local pests. There was no point in being silent when Vergil conveniently had a child shaped radar, so he felt indulged in killing lesser demons to let his brother know he has arrived.

After a couple of minutes exploring the stones, Dante found a tunnel that led to an underground temple. The book stated it housed a door to the angels' domain, where a hero was blessed with a weapon to slay monsters. Fairy tale or not, he was already feeling the atmosphere getting bleaker and the halls echoing with demonic howls. Then, he reached a point where reality stopped making sense, finding rooms that physically didn't make sense and repeating corridors, meaning he was stranding farther from his world, and closer to the demon world.

Thankfully the deadly illusions and puzzles were already solved by his brother. The building was also weakened by time and any stupidity would make it collapse, meaning brute force was not an option. For a minute Dante considered destroying the whole place on top of Vergil's head, but that wouldn't be satisfying, and it could be dangerous for Nero.

All things considered, Dante had an easy time finding the main room, a large gray area made with adorned stones and six huge statues attached to the ceiling. Vergil and Nero were also there, too busy destroying stone guardians to greet the hunter. Unsurprisingly, the duo was fighting well, but it was obvious that Vergil was holding back, doing rather inaccurate cuts and lazy steps, more interested in judging his son's performance.

On the other hand, Nero was bold and absurdly strong for a child, lifting enemies with ease and crushing their faces with brutality. He didn't carry a weapon, relying only his arm, though it was more than enough to handle the battle. He was also sloppy and careless, being too confident in his attacks, then getting easily ticked off if something didn't go the way he wanted.

Without the jacket and in a well lit room, the kid's face was fully visible. He had white hair, just like him and Vergil, with long disheveled bangs that partially covered his bright golden eyes. There were faint facial marking and small, feathery horns coming from the back of his head. His right arm had blue and red scales with glowing details, while the left one was less flashy, but still demonic. His skin was too pale, almost gray, with faint veins and some scales, and whenever he was under pressure or had to use more strength the demon side became more pronounced, displaying longer claws or growing more scales on his body with little care or control.

It didn't take long for them to finish their fight. As soon as the last guardian fell, Vergil turned to Nero with a stern face.

"Nero, what did I tell you about wasting your time thrashing your enemies around?"

"I _know!_ But the thing kept blocking me!" Nero huffed while looking down, scratching the floor with his clawed foot.

"You're too unfocused today, and your frustration is letting enemies sneak under your nose." Vergil chided as he walked to a corner to grab the kid's jacket, presumably thrown before the battle.

"But-"

Vergil interrupted the argument by launching a Summoned Sword to the entrance of the room, where Dante blocked it with a well timed guard. Nero, who just noticed the spectator, jumped in surprise and ran to his father's side, uncomfortable with his exposed look.

"You're late. I almost thought you weren't smart enough to walk through a straight tunnel." The elder twin said with disdain.

"You were so kind to personally give me an invitation to your party, how could I miss it?" Dante grinned and opened his arms. "Hey kid, no need to be shy. It's me, your uncle!"

Nero glared at him, firmly planting himself behind his father and trying to hide his legs, still partially transformed. Dante noticed his eyes took after Vergil in both shape and attitude, easing his doubts about the parentage. He knew Vergil would never claim to be the father of a child that wasn't his, much less steal one, but the possibility that one of the old adventures at the strip bar resulted in something more did worry him for a day or two.

The kid hesitated, gathering his courage to yell. "Dad said if you come too close I'll catch your foolishness!"

Dante had to pause with his mouth agape, computing the absurdity that Nero just said, before snorting loud enough to startle his nephew. Vergil turned his eyes to the boy for a second, clearly bothered that he mixed his words, but didn't correct him.

"And if you stay near a big fat liar like your dad you're gonna get dumber!" The hunter playfully yelled back, shooting a mischievous look.

While they stared at each other, the ground started shaking and the room's only door closed abruptly, locking everyone in. The seams on the stones glowed red as the statues turned towards the center, pointing at the crimson circle that appeared in the middle of the floor.

"About time." Vergil adjusted his hair and examined the statues. Nero was also calm, holding his father's hand and checking his arm like a compass, while Dante equipped his guns, ready to interfere whatever was happening.

The room began trembling wildly, with enough power to crack the walls and make Nero's legs wobble. A loud smash shattered the circle, caused by large, rusted chains covered with several seals and pendants that shot to the ceiling and met with the hands of the statues.

Nero's arm was flaring up like an alarm, and something could be felt coming from below. The brothers cautiously approached the hole, finding a seemingly infinite void of gray sky with dark clouds, occasionally shooting lightning in the distance. Near the floor there was a mass of flesh, made with several parts like arms, wings and horns meshed together and tightly chained, still breathing and thumping like a heart, condemned to live in that horrible nightmare. It connected to the chains that went from the statues and reached all the way to the bottom, where an ominous red turmoil could be barely seen.

Vergil looked at the meat pile, then turned to Nero. "It this it?"

The kid nodded, slowly approaching the edge with stiff steps. "It's inside that thing, just like last time."

"Then you go get it. With the Devil Bringer's reach it won't be a problem, and if it bites back you can use Pandora." Vergil walked away from the hole, already creating a sharp rain of swords on Dante's head.

The devil hunter countered by making an ice barrier with Cerberus' rapid spins, demonstrating that he was more prepared than their last week. He tried to freeze the floor and seal whatever was underneath them, however Vergil's sharp blade was on point and quickly shattered the cover. The agitation caused some tremors and a couple of stones fell into the abyss, warning that they had a time limit.

As Nero stabbed the flesh with his spectral arm, Dante's mind raced to find ways to deal with the situation while dodging a dive kick from his dear brother. He couldn't stop the process at that stage, not while Vergil kept him away from the kid, and soon the room was going to crumble below their feet. It was a risky gamble, but Dante had to bet that he could stop them after they retrieved the artifact, assuming it wouldn't immediately trigger some world ending event. So he decided to play a little to get some information while he still could.

Dante started aimlessly shooting and hopping around, knowing that anywhere but near Nero was fair game. "I thought this was about an "angel" that helped people around! What is this twist?!" He exclaimed in an annoyingly sarcastic tone, using his ignorance to push the condescending snob to show off his knowledge.

"So gullible." Vergil bit the bait with pride. "A _demon_ tricked humans by giving them powerful weapons, but they require hundreds of sacrifices to work. In the end, the users were cursed and turned into access points between worlds." He jumped on one of statues, cutting the bullets to ricochet them back to Dante. "Supposedly, these rudimentary portals perished after they completed their purpose, but a couple of years ago they suddenly reopened and demons started crawling through them."

Dante destroyed his own incoming bullets with Cerberus. "Maybe they woke up after _someone_ grew another tower from Hell while I wasn't looking?" He joked, teleporting to avoid a pit that opened below him. "Creativity was never your thing since we were kids, that's why you always fought like a-"

"Look who's talking, your tongue is getting rusty. Try to come with more insightful commentary next time, _if_ there's a next time for you." Vergil grew irritated with the banter, or maybe Dante hit a nerve somewhere between clashes. He was never good at accepting his brother's criticism after all.

A distorted scream echoed from the chained creature as Nero ripped something from its innards and blood splattered all around the room, making a putrid smell fill the room and interrupt the fight. Unfazed by his actions, the boy turned to his father with a proud smile, holding a large red hilt, almost as tall as his leg, but without a blade. It was oddly well preserved and clean despite its origin, though Nero still tried to polish it with his bloody hands.

The whole room began cracking and more holes formed on the floor. The statues were losing their shape, letting the chains slip through the stone hands and the still breathing flesh, dissolving and bleeding, was slowing going down. The red vortex was getting farther and smaller, indicating that the portal was shutting down. Nero firmly hugged the hilt and looked around for a place to grab with his arm, while Dante was loudly thinking about his options, and Vergil impatiently analyzed the situation based on Nero and Dante's movements.

"How about we pause this, at least until we get out of this hellhole? I'll open the door and you go get Nero." Dante lowered his weapons and pointed at the kid, who just lost his balance and face planted on top of the artifact.

Suddenly, a thunder was heard from the bottom of the void and a beam of light appeared, traveling all the way through the gray zone and the stopping inches before hitting the ceiling. It revealed an imposing armored figured, about twelve feet tall, displaying an asymmetrical design with a golden left side holding a wing shaped shield, and a right silver side wielding a long sword. He had long curved horns and a porcelain mask with a blank, serene face.

He introduced himself with a heavy sword swing, cutting all the statues at once and letting what little remained of the flesh fall into the void. The demon looked at the brothers and raised his arms.

"Ah, the sons of Sparda! Of course you were the ones who disturbed this slumbering passageway. We are Duetto Angelo, the beginning of our master's glory, and the end of your lives!" His voice boomed through the area, making everyone's ears hurt. Then he turned to Nero, as he gasped at the demon and whispered something to himself. "And to think the defector would be here as well! Surely this is a fortunate day for us."

Dante shot an inquisitive glare at Vergil, who ignored him and promptly showered the intruder with swords. In retaliation, Duetto Angelo raised his shield to create a golden barrier that denied the projectiles and concealed his body.

"I see they're making talkative puppets now. But it doesn't matter, you all fall like rocks in the end." Vergil sliced the ceiling in order to stall the opponent with the debris. "The temple is already falling apart, we need to make our own exit before we get caught in the remains of the portal!"

With an irritated sigh, Dante used Cerberus to create temporary ice platforms and pillars. "Oh, this time it's _we_. Do I get to keep the souvenir again?" He complained as Duetto's golden dome grew dangerously, burning everything it touched.

"As if I would rely on _you_."

Vergil looked at Nero and gave him a curt, but reassuring nod. The kid tossed the hilt to his father, freeing him from the burden to focus on the fight. His arm started glowing and his demonic features became stronger. From his body an wicked aura was summoned, forming a large monster around him, snapping its one eye open and growling like a wild animal. It was a spectral demon partially melded with a dark armor, making painful cracking noises as it adjusted to its physical form. the half withered wings dragged on the ice and feathers slowly fell around them, acting more like a tattered cape.

While Vergil leaped upwards and challenged the barrier with precise cuts, Dante tried to approach Nero, who was completely covered by the strange demon. There was no snark or commentary that could express his curiosity over his nephew's power, and he felt he needed to tend the kid regardless of the urgency of their priorities. The right wing flailed, almost slapping the hunter off the frozen ground, and covered itself in light to turn into a third, feathery arm.

Duetto Angelo shattered his own dome, knocking Vergil back with thousands of golden shards, and revealed the sword and shield were combined in order to form a long spear that glowed with dark energy. He slowly raised his weapon, preparing to launch it like a javelin, and focused on Nero.

"We will be quick and merciful, for we would not have attained this power without your services. In the name of Lord Mundus, die!"

Nero's demon grabbed one of the broken statues and threw it at the enemy's face, hitting him a split second before the spear was thrown. The attack barely missed the target and hit the ground instead, creating a huge blast of light that destroyed the whole floor and vaporized the ice. In a blinding flash, the path to the Underworld was torn apart and several layers of the temple crumbled above it, forming a crater in the middle of the forest.

Miles away, in a different battlefield, Lady felt a small earthquake and watched the birds flee from a smoke column that rose from the ruin's location. Then a broken statue landed right in front of her, scaring her bounty away. She cursed several obscenities about her day and her partner, striding towards the car's general direction with a mix of irritation and worry.

The sun was already gone when Dante emerged from a pile of rubble in the middle of the woods, far from the ruins where his mission began. Due to the bizarre nature of the temple and the unstable portal, everything and everyone in that room was scattered around the region when they were pulled back to the human world. Some stones even appeared in the middle of the sky or through trees and rocks, damaging the local environment.

The hunter carelessly kicked the rocks away, ignoring the sore muscles stinging with the sudden movement. He wasn't hurt since he was near the large frame of Nero's demon, unintentionally shielding him from Duetto Angelo's spear and the incoming debris. The last thing he remembered before the light blinded him was grabbing the kid's arm and seeing Vergil attacking the enemy with his sword.

Still, his head wouldn't stop spinning, and he would rather sit down and wait for an angry Lady to end his misery, but the devil hunter could hear the faint voice of a boy calling for his father. Nero was only a couple of feet away, dragging himself around to check every rock and fallen tree in the way. The kid took off his ragged jacket to breath and to check his arm, which wouldn't glow no matter how many times he shook it, even with Dante nearby, probably because of exhaustion.

"Hey, kid." Dante greeted, casually approaching the boy. Predictably, Nero startled and stiffened his limbs, unsure about what to do in that position and too tired to do the first move. They stood still, awkwardly staring at each other for an eternity of seconds.

"I..." Nero managed to speak in a small, nervous voice, looking around to find the right words. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." He tried to dismissively walk away from an amused Dante, but his left leg gave up and the kid tripped on the first bump it found.

"We can start knowing each other so we won't be strangers anymore." The hunter knelt down at the kid's side, looking for a sign of concession. "Besides, you father knows me very well."

Nero slowly recovered and cornered himself against a tree. "Dad never told me about you." He raised his right arm, using all the energy he had to lift a fallen branch nearby with a dull looking Devil Bringer. "But he told me I shouldn't listen to you!"

Dante sighed, raising his arms in mock defeat. "Yeah, we're not exactly in good terms. We're still family, though!"

"You're trying to kill each other!"

"Oh... It's a little complicated. Lot's of baggage, you know." Dante looked around, it was his turn to search for words.

"It's stupid!"

The hunter chuckled dryly. "Well, you got me." It was the perfect opportunity to get some information, know more about Nero and maybe learn Vergil's plans. However he was not in the mood to explain the bad turns in his life to a child pitifully threatening him.

Just when silence began overpowering their conversation again. A loud explosion happened not far from them, and Dante instinctively grabbed Nero to hide under the tree. Duetto Angelo emerged from the ground, surveying the area with a raging roar that made the forest tremble. His body started glowing and splitting in half, slowly turning into two smaller demons. The golden one, wielding two shields, zoomed away to the ruin's direction, while the silver one, wielding two swords, descended until he almost touched the trees and started searching the area at high speed.

Dante hugged Nero tighter the moment the demon flew past them and sliced the branches in the way. The kid tried to protest, but even he settled down the moment he saw a log nearby snapping in half.

Soon enough the coast the was clear, and Dante stepped out of the cover with Nero firmly held under his arm. The kid was initially well behaved until he realized he was trapped, then he began thrashing and flailing his short limbs.

"Release me! I need to find my dad!" He whined. "I have to help him to fight those things!"

"It's too dangerous to fight now, kid, we're all tired and some of us are even hurt." The hunter commented, pointing at Nero's leg to emphasize his argument. "Besides, I'm sure your dad is strong enough to handle one half of a devil."

"Just drop me you butthead! Drop me or I'll kill you!"

"Ooh, scary!" Dante mocked. He tossed Nero on the air and took his red coat off, using it to catch the kid in one whip-like motion, wrapping his body and immobilizing him. He figured that, weakened or not, the Devil Bringer wouldn't be as dangerous if his right arm was stuck under the fabric.

"This is payback for squishing my ribs last week, kiddo." He patted his horns and tucked the child roll under his arm. "And you'll stay like this until you learn some manners."

The kid kept hissing toothless threats until he lost his voice, pouting in defeat, then he finally passed out and left Dante alone with his thoughts. To make things better, the silver demon flew away as night fog started rising, giving the hunter all the room he wanted to comfortably walk to the road.

While he could go after his brother, Dante had enough squabbles for the day and there was a lot to process before interrogating him. Although it wasn't sensible, he was confidently assuming that Nero was needed to find items and locations, meaning Vergil's search was halted and he had go after the devil hunter.

Besides, he felt it was Vergil's turn to warm up anyway, and hopefully get his stupid artifact destroyed in the process.


	3. Bitter Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading again! Sorry for the long updates!

Back in the comfort of his office, Dante felt like his problems disappeared the moment he flopped on his chair. He could close his eyes and hibernate for the rest of the day, but the presence of an unusual company kept pulling him back to reality. With a lazy stretch, the devil hunter turned his head to look at the sofa, where Nero was curled under a thin blanket Lady gave to him.

During the whole trip back home the kid slept like a rock while Dante and Lady had a series of petty arguments about trivial subjects, from gas prices to the desecration of a historical monument dedicated to demons. When they finally returned, in the middle of the next day, neither had the energy to discuss the important matters, and Lady left to attend other hunts. Unlike Dante, she was always good at keeping her mind busy with work whenever she started getting unfocused, and the huntress was already too agitated by her partner's apparent nonchalant behavior to stay any longer.

"What do you mean you're going to stay here and wait?" She crossed her arms, eyeing Dante as if he called her the wrong name.

"You heard it. Vergil knows where a live and he'll come for the kid-"

"He doesn't even know you _have_ Nero!"

Dante shrugged. "He'll eventually realize it. Don't worry, I figured he needed some alone time, I'm just being nice and playing babysitter."

Lady could only sigh in defeat and give a sorry look to Nero before getting out. Even though she voiced her complains about using the boy as a lure, she still hoped he would collaborate with them and share some words.

With plenty of time in his hands, Dante decided to keep himself occupied in order to stay awake. After a quick shower and drinking the most bitter cup of coffee he could make, he sat on the sofa's arm to examine his nephew. To his relief, Nero's wounds were mostly healed and the arm was bright again, even subtly reacting to Dante's relative distance. The only part that persisted was the unhealthy appearance, still displaying faint veins and the pale skin was too dry and thin to be normal.

Dante cocked his head, mentally cataloguing the events from the ruins. The book was deemed irrelevant at this point, giving helpful but ultimately inaccurate descriptions such as "giving your heart to an angel" instead of "sacrificing lives for a demon". Although the artifact retrieved didn't look impressive, it had the power to open a pathway to the Underworld at a hefty price, so it couldn't be ignored. Then there's the demon that attacked them who, despite being too pompous for his liking, gave him more than enough food for thought.

The sound of Nero rustling on the sofa cut his thoughts, and the hunter gently touched his shoulder, waiting for a response.

"Hey kid, are you awake?" He asked softly. "Really hoping you're not pretending to be asleep. _Again_."

After a couple of seconds, there was no answer or change in his breath, so he left him alone. Nero happened to wake up a couple of times, only to give him the stink eye before passing out or pretending to sleep. It took him a hour to give in and accept a towel and two to accept a glass of water, which Dante considered a small step in his self-imposed family bonding quest.

"Freaking brat. You really are a little son of a... Vergil, you know that?" He quietly complained, knowing that the kid inherited his father's stubbornness.

As he shook his head, Nero's arm began glowing, warning that a demon was nearby. Dante only had the time to groan in realization before the front door was cut in pieces and its shards nailed his chair with deadly precision.

A tall figure stood at the door frame. The intense red dusk bathed his back and painted a warm contour of his body, while his long shadow slowly invaded the wooden floor. Instead of a sharp looking man, there was a worn out, dirty demon wearing a tattered coat and covered in dust and dried blood stains. His eyes glowed with killing intent, just like his sword.

"Speaking of the devil!" Dante hummed, not moving from his spot. "Seems like you had a soul _crushing_ day!"

"Dante..." Vergil hissed lowly. "...I hope this _joke_ was funny for you, because it'll be your last!"

The hunter put a finger on his chin, making an exaggerated thoughtful face. "Mnh... It was okay. Would've been funnier if the _clown_ wasn't so late."

"You-!"

The brothers were interrupted by the growing brightness of Nero's arm. Dante was the first to jump on his feet, but Vergil signaled him to settle down without taking his eyes off his son.

"The Devil Bringer is responding to nearby aggression. It's just more intense now because Nero's not reacting appropriately."

Vergil wanted to beeline towards Nero, but Dante blocked him with his pistols. Both of them stood still, wordlessly glaring each other in a battle of wits. Tension was high enough that a single wrong move could trigger a fight that neither were honestly in a mood for.

One one hand, Vergil's pride was deeply wounded, itching to make Dante drown on his own blood and not even considering a pitiful request to simply take Nero and leave like a coward. On the other, both knew Dante had the upper hand, being well rested and familiar with every inch of the neighborhood. He was also deliberately standing between Vergil and Nero, meaning the older brother was the one who had to approach first to get what he wanted, inviting himself into Dante's range, and leaving empty handed was out of the question for a man as stubborn as his son.

Dante sensed he could do the first move and pointed Ivory at a chair across the room, then relaxed his grip to make the suggestion more friendly. "So... "Devil Bringer" huh? Odd name for the arm."

Sheathing his sword, Vergil purposefully ignored the chair and leaned against the pool table, silently admitting concession while making it clear it was temporary. Still, the tension between them lowered and Nero's arm stopped glowing like an alarm.

"I didn't name anything. It's just convenient to use the labels that were already given." He said, releasing the air off his lung in a long sigh.

"Even if the names came from Mundus?" Dante asked with a judgemental look.

"What?" Vergil snapped. "What made you think it has anything to do with _him_?"

"That shiny demon back in the temple- What was his name? Angelo?" Dante casually answered. "He had a pretty big mouth, don't you remember?"

"Yes, I remember. I had to deal with that pest the _whole night_!" The twin growled. "And he stole my weapon!"

Dante grinned, holding back a well deserved taunt. "Yeah, whatever. He seemed to know Nero very well."

Vergil fidgeted in place impatiently. Expecting a long story, Dante walked to the mini fridge, grabbed two bottles of beer and tossed one to his brother, then he sat on his desk, still putting his body between father and son.

"After years of silence, Mundus began influencing humanity again." Vergil started. "It seems he's interested in making playgrounds and plant seeds of chaos. You probably noticed that. Demon attacks, diseases, conflicts... But nothing drastic enough to make it obvious. He even started revisiting his old experiments, like the ones in the book. Those were mere tests demonstrating the potential of human resources to make portals."

Dante leaned forward, paying attention to every word. The twin looked annoyed by the vigilant stare, crossing his arms and twitching his leg, and took his time to choose his words.

"Moreover, he's taking advantage of humanity's idiocy to make them work for him, visiting vulnerable locations with indulging deceptions. One of these places was home of the most fanatics, but resourceful alchemists who awoken Mundus' interest in human craft. That's where I found Nero."

Vergil's voice trailed off, and Dante looked at the kid with pity, unsure if he wanted to comment about it. They remained in silence for minutes, letting the noises coming from the street take over the doorless office. The hunter kept waiting for the story before he could ask questions, until it was clear that Vergil was done talking.

"And...?" Dante questioned.

The twin finally took a sip of his beer with no joy."And then I burned that place down and retrieved Nero." He ran his hand through his hair, fixing his bangs.

Dante raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"What more do you want?"

"I think you're still missing a couple of details in this story, brother."

"Details don't matter anymore when they turn into ash." Vergil scoffed. "I assume you're capable of filling the blanks by yourself, even if it's asking too much from you."

"Your arguments are terrible, you know that?"

"I don't _need_ good arguments because you're terrible at arguing back!"

Against common sense and his notion of dignity, Vergil chugged the whole bottle to drown the rest of his words and dismiss an irritated Dante, who stood up and went to the bathroom in frustration. He wrinkled his face in disgust, fighting the urge to spit out the cheap, unpleasant alcohol that overwhelmed his throat, so the man tried to focus on Nero in order to ignore the drink.

Last night was the first time in two years he was alone, and the first time someone was between him and his son. It made him feel an unfamiliar emptiness that bothered more than he wanted to admit, and made his emotions bubble under the thick skin.

"I'll find every single trail Mundus left in this world, find out everything he did to gain power." He muttered, feeling the bitter taste in his mouth as Nero's eyes slowly opened and the memories of the first time they met suddenly hit him.

The Order of The Sword's arrogance was Fortuna's downfall. That was the only conclusion Vergil guessed, not wanting to dignify them by giving more thought than they deserved. He silently snaked his way through the claustrophobic alleys, avoiding the crowds and the knights with ease to find his way to the church.

He didn't remember the recluse island being so foul the first time he visited. It was inhabited by unpleasant, ignorant humans that blindly followed a fanatical cult based on his father, but it also had a beautiful and well preserved architecture, calm streets, and a fresh breeze that kept the place deceptively clean, almost masking the unmistakable scent of the Underworld.

In the second visit, however, there were dark heavy clouds, too close to the ground to be natural, and at the same time it looked like rain didn't fall in weeks. The air felt grimy, with a faint smell of decay everywhere that made even a demon like him feel repulsed. The citizens looked sick and lethargic, with a negative aura around them, as if their lives were being drained from their bodies.

It didn't take long for Vergil to attract suspicious eyes, and after an accidental shoulder bump the locals were on to him like they were chasing a rabid dog. Naturally, the humans were too slow for his agility and he quickly escaped by leaping out of their way and landing on the roofs. No use in killing maniacs and risk his investigation with a needless commotion.

Then, he sensed something coming from the forest. A squad on angelic looking armors flew to his direction, ready to skewer him without words or fanfare. Below them, the citizens cheered on the tin cans like the brainwashed fools they were, screaming for Vergil's head. He was about to clash with his enemies when a small pebble hit his back. It was thrown by a little girl hiding behind a wooden window, signaling him to hide with her. It wasn't like a son of Sparda needed help, but he figured he could use some context before diving into the heart of the trouble.

The girl, Kyrie, and a small group of sane looking people offered shelter and a small summary of the situation. About five years ago the head of the Order of The Sword, Sanctus, was visited by an angel who blessed him with divine knowledge. Consequently, The cult suddenly bloomed with alchemical breakthroughs, such as exquisite weapons, powerful armored knights and man-made creatures.

At the same time, bizarre things started happening in the island. The weather rapidly changed during the same day. Huge packs of demons attacked the city, even in busy and heavily guarded streets. Small outbreaks of unknown diseases appeared and disappeared without warning. All while members of the Order became more secretive and almost paranoiac. Even Kyrie's brother, Credo, started acting more hostile before he was recruited and left home, right after their parents passed away.

When Vergil asked how Kyrie managed to stay normal she looked down in lament. The girl said that one day the Order planned a grand festival, but she and Nero, her adoptive little brother, decided to run to the woods instead. While they were hiding, demons appeared and started chasing them. The boy pushed her into a river and acted as bait, running as fast as he could into the dense vegetation and disappearing without leaving a trace.

A couple of neighbors were able to rescue her and in the next day, when she returned to town, the girl was horrified to discover that everyone started losing their minds. The few that were still lucid kept a low profile, unable to accomplish much by themselves, while helplessly watching family and friends change for the worst, mentally and physically.

Kyrie barely finished her story before she broke down and apologized, confessing she had an ulterior motive to help Vergil. She said he reminded her of Nero and guilt started crushing her again. The girl pleaded him to discover what happened to the boy, since she never found him, and for some reason the Order began "forgetting" about his existence. He was amused to see that Kyrie could endure the madness, and keep fighting for her life until she triumphed or died, it was the uncertainty of Nero's fate that was too much.

Vergil didn't answer, only watching in silence as the girl apologized again. Despite being brave enough to help a stranger, Kyrie was impossibly kind and demure. She reminded him of something warm and distant, like a precious fire that faded with time, and left him behind years ago. Or was it him who abandoned those feelings?

Either way, he quickly suppressed the strange memory, not wanting something as trivial as an old ember get in his way.

The following day Vergil left the shelter and made his way to the Order of The Sword's headquarters, promising Kyrie she would see what a real festival looked like.

"One more time. Who or what is the Angel?" Vergil growled, raising his voice, barely overpowering the sound of senseless chants and flesh being torn apart.

Sanctus cried like a madman. "Ah, the son of Sparda, just like the Angel warned! Please! Why did you abandon me?"

He dragged himself away from his would be killer, his back looking like a pincush decorated with the familiar blue swords lazily nailing his muscles and joints, just enough to not be lethal. The blood leaked from the punctures, painting his body and the carpet in red.

Vergil considered himself lucky. The knights were still focused on searching the city, not thinking about the possibility of an outsider knowing his way around the streets, and the Order's shift to a demon-centric structure meant he could easily walk past any measures made to keep humans away. On top of that, Sanctus usually locked himself in his room, desperately begging his Angel to visit him.

Unfortunately, the lunatic wouldn't stop praying and Vergil lost his patience. There was no use in interrogating someone who lost his marbles, and for once he was merciful enough to end Sanctus' misery with one clean cut. He also made sure the priest wasn't faking his death with silly tricks, not wanting to deal with another clown in his lifetime.

"Useless old man!" Vergil grumbled, angrily sheathing Yamato. It was obvious who was behind Fortuna's fall, the one who toyed with the Order's self-righteous faith, posing as an angel and using the island as a guinea pig. He just needed to hear his name. And, as much as vandalizing Mundus' sandbox sounded fun, he also wished to gain something from his investigation.

Despite his diligence, the ear piercing alarm blasted through the facility. Vergil decided stealth didn't fit his style anyway and started to cut his way through in order to find the lead scientist, Agnus. Likewise, the cult's guardians didn't waste time and smashed through the walls to greet the visitor.

Several squads of Angelos rapidly filled the corridors, each group equipped with different armor and gear, hunting the intruder in coordinated moves and calculated strikes. At first, Vergil was distressed with the endless waves of opponents, extending the fight from room to room, being countered by different squad formations and slowing him down. However, his worries would die down the moment he realized that they were too dull and predictable, using the same moves and never changing strategies, like fighting the same battles over and over again.

"I thought this place would offer something interesting." He taunted with disdain, cutting through the whole hallway as if the Angelos weren't even there. "How foolish of me to assume this god forsaken island was anything but a puppet factory."

The hall crumbled with the attack and Vergil fell two floors below, getting closer to the bottom of the structure. His spine chilled the further he went, feeling that something wicked, beyond human grasp, was under the ground. Curiously, he also felt something pulling him towards that place, but it was so small and weak he would have ignored if Yamato wasn't reacting as well.

The speakers in the area turned on, releasing an annoying interference while a man's voice echoed with the noise.

" _Y-y-you!_ How d-dare you!" He yelled in rage. "Destroying this s-sacred ground! Touching our leader! Insulting my c-c-craft!" The voice cracked and sounds of crashes and buttons were heard, before the man suddenly started laughing. "B-b-but this is such a v-valuable subject! It would be so s-s-sad to waste this opportunity!"

To Vergil's surprise, some sets of doors began opening, welcoming him to walk a determined path.

"You should see the rest of my work before o-o-opening that big mouth of yo-yours! If you can survive the way d-d-down!"

Vergil didn't say anything, worried he had to hear the loud man's voice again if he did, and walked in silence. He figured that was Agnus, his target, luring him into a trap. With a linear path ahead and more enemies to fight, Vergil didn't mind playing the lab rat, considering the scientist was too proud of his work to keep his mouth shut, and more than willing to gamble the whole laboratory to prove his worth. It was stupid and naive, but entertaining.

After fighting more knights, the son of Sparda reached the basement door. It was a relatively new structure, where the iron grates were not rusted and the concrete wall didn't have a fancy paint yet. He could feel the heavy atmosphere cursing the area beyond him, similar to what he felt in Temen-ni-gru.

He was about to touch the handle when an armored arm phased through the door and grabbed his face with crushing strength, cracking his jaw before throwing him on the ground hard enough to damage the concrete. Vergil's world was blurry and spinning, barely managing to see the new figure slowly walking like a damned ghost, growling like a beast.


	4. Domino Effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consistency isn't my thing, I guess.  
> I don't know how warnings work, but this chapter is not kind to children. Nothing explicit or too violent though.  
> Also, I forgot to put a note for a headcanon in chapter 1: since Gilgamesh is the name of the metal, and not a demon, I thought it would be neat if the gauntlets changed according to its user's preferences, I don't know why.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading again!

Everything went black for a second. The blood leaving his head and the air fleeing his body made Vergil feel numb. Unfortunately, he was still aware enough to feel sharp pain when his face was smashed through the heavy basement door and thrown into an iron pipe like a rag doll. He immediately forced himself stand up, fighting to breathe as his lungs were pierced by his own fractured rib cage.

He opened his eyes, focusing on the threat ahead. Unlike the previous Angelos, its armor was dark, with elaborated details and more room for his organic joints. There was an emotionless face sculpted on the helmet, clashing with its behavior. It wore a translucent blue cape, vaguely shaped like wings, shedding glowing feathers with the movement. Its posture lacked the dry elegance of its lesser counterparts, breathing heavily and stomping instead of walking, like a living beast.

Without wasting time, the foe rushed towards its target, scraping the hallway with the edges of its armor. Vergil's instincts kicked in, but his feet refused to cooperate. It was shameful, but he had to admit that fighting an endless army of Angelos all day took a toll on his stamina, even affecting his healing. He shot several swords at the Angelo and cut the pipe in its direction, releasing an intense steam to buy a couple of seconds.

The demon ignored the attacks and prepared for the impact. Muscles barely snapped back to their place when Vergil dodged out of the way with a swift teleport, making his enemy tackle the wall instead.

"Such simple minded creature." He thought out loud. "But I suppose it's the most honest thing in this place."

As if the creature wanted to prove him wrong, a phantom arm stretched through the floor, catching Vergil off guard and grabbing him with deadly precision. Another surface was crushed with his back and he was promptly launched into a large, tall room. From the air, it looked like a spacious storage facility, decorated by little lights and endless corridors. In the center there was a huge stone slab, almost reaching the ceiling, exuding a dark energy he could sense from the distance.

Vergil landed on the cold, metallic ground surrounded by several displays that showed different models of angelic armors. They were all broken, leaking a large amount of unnatural flesh and fluid from the cracks. It was almost felt like visiting a museum of the cult's failures, shaming the lifeless husks for not meeting the expectations.

From afar, the echoes of a roar and metal being smashed could be heard. The beast seemed to have landed on another side of the room, but Vergil could feel it was coming for him, sniffing him out like a hound. Since their fight would be inevitable, he decided to choose their next arena and walked towards the center, where there was more room the move, so he wouldn't be in disadvantage against a foe that could ignore walls.

When he arrived at the spot, Vergil was surprised that the demon was already there, waiting for him. Although it seemed to be already panting in exhaustion, it was still ready for another round. On its arms, it summoned shiny Gilgamesh gauntlets with sharp claws, made to tear enemies apart. The glowing wings turned into feathered arms that also equipped the metallic Devil Arm, but those were customized to crush bones with heavy punches.

As Vergil drew his weapon, an intense spotlight suddenly appeared at the top of the slab, revealing a large man standing on it, formally greeting the guest.

"If it isn't the t-t-traitorous son of Sparda!" Agnus' unmistakable voice was even louder in person, irritating Vergil's ears.

"Oh? I thought you people worshiped my father. Did an Angel tell you what to think about me?" Vergil couldn't care less about the accusation, but he decided to poke the scientist's ego since he was so kind to show up in person.

"You insolent fool, underestimating the Order of The Sowrd's p-prowess!" Agnus barked, then coughed to regain composure, excited to spill his story. "I admit, we were wrong about our b-blind faith... And Sparda was wrong in keeping h-hu-humans and demons apart, hindering our true potential."

Without warning, the Angelo charged towards Vergil's face. The son of Sparda dodged and kicked its side, stirring the beast into a row of displays. Instead of crashing, it used the clawed arms as brakes, while the wing arms backhanded the incoming shower of swords behind it.

Agnus ignored the brawl, gleefully continuing his speech. "D-d-demons have something we humans lack... _Power_... Y-yo-you think that too, don't you? That's why you summoned Temen-ni-gru to get your f-f-father's power to yourself."

The words hit Vergil for an instant, and he was almost punished by a right hook, clumsily blocked with Yamato's scabbard just in time. "What does that mean?"

"T-t-the Angel told us everything. You selfishly unleashed an ancient evil to doom this world." The alchemist yelled with melodramatic enthusiasm. "He knew only t-th-the sons of Sparda could undo their father's work and take a-a-advantage of humanity's ignorance and demons' absence. So he visited many, many places to warn humans, to prepare us for y-y-your eventual attack. Now _Look!_ Look at these beautiful cr-creations, an army that combines human souls with demon strength! _This_ is how angels are born."

Agnus summoned his army of Angelos, surrounding the stage, and pointed their arms at the intruder with mechanical synchrony. Then, the spotlight turned to Vergil, who just threw his opponent off balance by hitting its chest with the pommel of his sword.

"I thought you idolized the Angel. I would feel insulted to be compared with these flies, but I have standards."

"Silence, f-f-fraud of Sparda!" Agnus shouted. "Spettro Angelo, it is t-t-time you pay for your sins and capture your prey! And make sure to crush his v-vo-vocal cords while you're at it!"

The beast dismissed the gauntlets, and a new Devil Arm was equipped. Vergil tried to bait Agnus for more answers, but he was immediately showered by a barrage of bullets from a gatling gun, formed from the Angelo's arm. The projectiles damaged the displays and grazed the slab, which started glowing and releasing an ominous energy. It took a second for Vergil to realize the stone was a portal to the Underworld, a man-made one in fact.

"I see, the p-power of Sparda is still hard to tame." Agnus mumbled.

Vergil blinked. "That creature is made with Sparda's power?"

The alchemist turned to him with proud eyes. "You saw it d-didn't you? The sick people, the cursed skies, the demon attacks... A-a-after _you_ unlocked Temen-ni-gru, the Underworld slowly began influencing our world. _He_ was no exception! A product of Sparda's cursed blood that c-c-caused Fortuna's misery, with his awakened devil because of your crimes! We could have e-e-executed him, but the Angel, that merciful samaritan, wanted to give him a chance to r-re-redeem himself!"

"I see... You're just an imbecile. Learn what you're really dealing with before blaming me for your misfortunes." Vergil dismissed the tale and looked at the Angelo with mild interest. "But now I know my visit wasn't in vain. I'll be taking the power that's rightfully mine."

Vergil focused Yamato on the portal, opening it with a precise cut, then leaped out of the way just as the beast fired a catastrophic beam from a cannon on its wings, cutting the laboratory with a line of fire. The attack, combined with the energy from the portal, created a blinding light that sucked everyone and everything to the other side.

The last thing Vergil saw before everything went white was the Angelo screaming in agony and clutching his helmet so hard it cracked.

When the son of Sparda touched the ground, he was already prepared to confront the enemies that were dragged with him. However, all the armors that fell with him dropped lifelessly on the ground, while Agnus and the berserk Angelo were nowhere to be seen. The situation wasn't that bad so far, in fact not having to hear that mad man anymore was considered a victory, as much as his knowledge provided useful context.

Relatively safe and comfortably quiet, Vergil took his time to examine his surroundings. He didn't expect to be in an elegant marble room with intricate golden decorations and dry, sanitized air. The edges were covered with a well kept garden, so perfectly symmetrical and tightly trimmed it looked fake. Instead of a ceiling, there there was a black sky painted with non-existent constellations. Intentional or not, the illusion was too obvious to trick his instincts, as it wasn't his first time stepping into the Underworld.

But it wasn't the deception that threw him off at first. It was the presence of man made structures, such as signs, steel pipes and notice boards almost convinced he was still in the human world. The idea that Mundus would allow a section of the laboratory in his territory and invite, or trick, people to work for him was absurd. Maybe demon lord was _that_ bored after spending ages sitting on his throne, or Vergil's actions really did branch farther than expected.

That theory, combined with Agnus' accusations, lingered in his mind more than necessary. He quickly shut them down them before heavier thoughts started to affect his judgement.

"Why should I care about Mundus' methods, or this island of fanatics? If I get the power I need, the achievements will dwarf the sacrifices anyway..." He commented while fixing his hair, then proceeded to explore the hellish laboratory.

Without any distractions in his way, Vergil could feel the little energy again, still insisting in pulling him and Yamato around. If the alchemist's claims were right, the beast was created with Sparda's blood, and it was probably what was causing the phenomenon. All things considered it could also be a trap, but he didn't care since he was already too far in to turn back empty handed.

His steps echoed on the spacious and empty areas. Although the several doors tightly shut, refusing to open to the intruder without permission or force, the large one-way windows didn't hide anything from view. Vergil walked past a few offices detailing projects on their presentations, like a new portal and a colossal demon statue, and several experiment rooms where both humans and demons were used as subjects.

Strangely enough, Mundus was nowhere near the laboratory. From the information Vergil actually read, it looked like they established a one-way connection where the Order sent their reports and successful experiments to him, but there was little to no answer from him because, according to the reports, the Angel was "too busy helping other places", which explained why Sanctus felt he was left out. He also found out that the demon that attacked him, Spettro Angelo, was scheduled to leave the soon in order to be upgraded.

More importantly, he discovered the exact location of that Angelo's resting place, only a couple of floors above him. Vergil could sense little rumbles far from him, indicating that the whole facility was preparing to deal with the uninvited guest, so he didn't waste any more time and dashed ahead, cutting down any door in his way and dodging security.

With little effort he finally entered its room, a round chamber without windows and solid ceiling, somehow cleaner than the white halls. The emptiness made it look more bigger than it actually was, only occupied by a large statue of the Angelo in the middle. Unlike its real form, the display looked more humanoid and regal, almost like the idealized angel that was often described in fiction. On the sides, there were two small altars with two pairs of gauntlets and a peculiar briefcase, the Devil Arms it used before, connected to the structure, feeding power to the demon.

Before focusing on the main event, Vergil eyed the gauntlets, reminding him he wanted a replacement for Beowulf for a while. The moment he touched them, the briefcase was absorbed by the statue. From its stone face, the familiar enemy emerged like a soul leaving the husk. The armor didn't have time to heal after their last encounter, revealing there was a pale blue demon trapped inside with unhealthy and scarred skin, panting in exhaustion.

The Angelo grunted and transformed its wings into a cannon again, but didn't shoot. Underneath the cold armor, the actual demon looked lost, still suffering from a headache and holding its face. With the upper hand, Vergil slowly pointed Yamato at its throat, threatening to put the demon down.

He flicked his wrist and cut the statue open instead, making the demon disappear with a raging screech. A foul black liquid poured out of the stone and flooded the white room almost endlessly, covering Vergil's ankles. It was cold and sticky, immediately latching on the skin like a starving parasite, slowing him down, both physically and mentally. Vergil tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling and tried to examine what else was kept inside, until he felt something soft brushing his fingers.

He dug through the dark mud that threatened to possess him, only to find a small demonic hand. Puzzled, he pulled it out with so much urgency he could have snapped the body in half.

"What- Is this some kind of _joke?_ " Vergil stuttered, frozen with his discovery.

He was frozen, looking at the child in front of him without moving a single muscle. He was a small, white haired boy wearing plain ceremonial robes, tangled in wires. His body was unusually thin and pale, covered in dark veins and cracks. But the most eye catching detail was the right arm, completely demonic looking and glowing blue, just like the demon.

Slowly, the child opened his eyes and started breathing, as if he just returned to the world of the living. Vergil couldn't say anything, unable to find an appropriate reaction. Thoughts and memories flashed into his mind in quick succession, desperately trying to parse every decision that could've led to the encounter. The Order's experiments with the island. Mundus' intervention. Temen-ni-gru's awakening. Vergil's first visit in Fortuna.

It was madness. Could the son of the legendary Sparda have failed so hard, that the only result of his journey for power was a sick spawn in a god forsaken hole, of all possibilities?

Maybe he shouldn't have touched Fortuna. Maybe he shouldn't have lost to Dante, or he should have fallen from Temen-ni-gru. Vergil wanted to believe there was a choice that would have given a better outcome. He could feel his looming doubts feeding the black sea, overpowering his sanity and threatening to swallow him whole in that Nightmare.

Vergil was so focused in his mental struggle that, when the boy started coughing, he startled like a cat. Even with the oppressive silence in the room, he barely heard the quiet mumbles.

"Y-You... I saw you in my dream...!"

The child, barely awake, looked at him suspiciously, clumsily trying to hide behind the broken statue with shy curiosity and overwhelming confusion.

Also confused and fighting to get the liquid off his clothes, Vergil questioned the child. "Dream? Have we met before?"

"I don't know..." The child whispered weakly, sniffing and rubbing his eyes. "I... I was having a bad dream! I kept screaming and hitting things, but I couldn't wake up! And-and nobody listened to me, they just kept getting angry at me... It was awful!"

He didn't make much sense, babbling about floating around, yelling at mean angels and seeing his own detached body. Vergil figured he didn't recollect his memories as the beast, so he didn't ask more questions and switched his attention to more pressing matters. He hit a dead end and he had to decide what to do with the child. He could heave him be, hide him in the forest and hope no one finds him. Or end his misery on the spot, ridding him of the burden of his life before he learned that his Nightmare was just the beginning.

Wordlessly, he gripped Yamato. The sword seemed to react to the demonic hand, which started glowing in response. The child's eye widened, like he just remembered his limb was different. With a broken gasp, he realized something.

"I remember... When this arm...!" He thought out loud. "I- I need to go back, to the forest and, Kyrie must still be there!"

The child flailed, dragging himself towards the door. Vergil rushed to grab his arm harshly, stopping him.

"Wait-!"

A glowing blue fist suddenly appeared and uppercut him into the ceiling, making a dent. It didn't hurt as much as it surprised Vergil, who felt like the attack was a rude confirmation that the whole madness was in fact real, and not some dream where a bizarre set of coincidences and problems piled up in his hands.

The child hissed at him, pretending that the punch didn't drain most of his energy. "Get out of my way! Kyrie needs my help, I promised her!"

Vergil sighed. More distant memories bloomed, recalling him of another boy who pathetically struggled in a similar manner, but never won anything meaningful. Likewise, he was also reminded that, no matter how bad things would get, and no matter how many horrible things he did, the son of Sparda had to keep fighting until the very end.

"That's right..." He whispered to himself. "I don't have the right, or the time, for regrets anymore."

The floor began shaking and the artificial lights turned off, replaced by red lines flared that announced an alert. the doors and windows began shutting down as the troops' heavy steps were closing by. The child bit his lips nervously, but didn't back down from his boisterous act, not letting the small glint of hope in his bright eyes fade away. He was ready to run with his frail body when Vergil opened his mouth.

"Nero." He called, his deceptively calm and slow voice betraying his feelings.

The child stopped on his tracks, caught off guard by the name. "...So you know me?"

Vergil's body disobeyed him and his legs moved on their own, approaching the child, almost convincing himself that there was any semblance of poise and reason in his mind. He still wanted to scream, to cut his own head, anything to make his troubles disappear. But he didn't.

"No, but I know what you are, and I know what you want." Vergil said confidently. "You wanted to protect someone, so you awakened your devil... But you still weren't strong enough to even save yourself."

He pointed at the right arm, which began blinking with the call. Intimidated, Nero flinched and tried to cover the limb.

"And even then, you still want to fight. But as you are now you'll only find defeat."

He flicked his thumb on Yamato, swiftly unsheathing the sword. That was all Nero saw before the black liquid was splashed, banished to the corners of the room in a single move, too fast for his eyes. Vergil was satisfied at how the boy looked at him with awe, calming his nerves.

Extending his hand, Vergil looked at his eyes and made an offer. "Take my hand and you'll walk through the Hell I live in, until you find the strength you seek! Refuse it and I'll leave you alone. You'll stay in this island forever, rotting here until you die!"

He didn't know why he made such grand speech to a child who just woke up from a long coma, or understood why he offered help. Regardless of their connection, dragging Nero along in his journey was the least sensible solution came up with. But, before he could back down, he felt something warm when the small, demonic hand touched him, and a new surge of power coursed through his skin, letting his devil out.

There was a small hill in the woods where Kyrie always came back to rest, after another day spent searching for Nero. She would sit on the grass to wipe her tears and look at the dead sky in defeat, dropping a heavy bag full with necessities, like homemade snacks and a med kit box, all wrapped in a thick blanket.

She could see tallest building of the town peeking though the trees, as well as the dirt road where several knights marched on, probably still looking for Vergil. Kyrie felt useless, seeing the ruckus without having any means to help him, having no choice but to trust in his ability to take care of himself.

Suddenly, a huge explosion came from the heart of the forest. The girl ran towards a small cliff overlooking the Order of The Sword's headquarters, where a gigantic pillar of smoke raised ominously. To her shock, the whole building being consumed by an unnaturally dark flames, and the walls falling on top of each other like domino pieces.

When she thought things couldn't get any worse, an earthquake hit the whole island. Kyrie clutched a tree and held her breath in fear, watching her whole world falling apart. She watched the birds fleeing as a huge crimson vortex opened in the sky, roughly above the facility, roaring lightning bolts and sucking the building in, brick by brick, leaving trails of fire in the way as if they were comets flying upwards. Even the gray of the sky couldn't escape the phenomenon, slowly getting dragged in like dirty water in the drain.

While the vortex swallowed the curse, the girl heard a heavy thump dangerously close to her, rustling the trees nearby. Scared, but too curious to see what else could happen, she approached cautiously. After a couple of steps Kyrie found a blue devil with his back turned, busy watching the chaos with little interest. It didn't take long to realize his identity, as he carried a familiar weapon and shared the same mannerisms of the man that promised her a real festival.

"V-Vergil?" She asked, gathering her courage to greet the demon.

The demon nodded without turning around. "These makeshift fireworks are a quite barbaric, but they are certainly more impressive than anything the Order would call entertainment."

"What did you do?"

"Those fanatics were so fixated with their deity that I decided to assist them." He casually responded. "Don't worry, I'm sure they're more than happy to be sent to his door in a one-way trip, along with what remained of their portfolio."

"All of this destruction..." Kyrie gasped in horror. "This is wrong!"

"Is it?" Vergil asked, turning back to his human self. "Don't you think they deserve retribution for torturing this island for years?"

"But to answer with violence like- like a-"

"Like what? A monster? Perhaps like a demon?"

"No!" She squeaked, cheeks turning red in frustration. "I mean-!"

The sound of foliage shaking near her cut the response. Kyrie saw a small figure, slightly shorter than her, peeking through the bushes with hesitation. He wore black robes, barely concealing his identity or his unnatural features, especially the faint glow coming from his arm. She froze, trembling with the sight.

Vergil turned around, staring at the children with cold eyes. "Is it wrong to make them pay for what they did to my son?"

Her knees lost strength, almost flopping on the grass. Tears rapidly formed on her eyes as she fought to say the name stuck on her tongue. "Ne-Nero, is that really you? You're..."

"A demon, yes." Vergil continued for her. "Like me."

Fidgeting the leaves, Nero shyly looked around, avoiding eye contact. There was an eternity of dead air between them, until Kyrie said his name again, prompting him to snap out and clutch his hood with his demonic arm. With a deep breath, he stomped out of the bushes to hide his obviously weakened state.

"See, I told not to worry about me..." He said with small voice, attempting to dismiss the whole ordeal before looking at her with shame. "I-I mean... Sorry."

"Nero..." Kyrie whimpered, her face quickly changing from panic to pity when she glanced of his sad eyes. "Nero, it's okay. Let's just go home."

Vergil clicked his tongue in annoyance, interrupting their moment. "He's coming with me. Fortuna isn't fit to be his home."

Kyrie gasped. "What? No!" She shook her head in protest. "Nero just came back! And- And he is sick! Look-"

"Do you really think you can take care of him? Protect him from the demons that crawl in this island, and the humans who will come for him?" He questioned in a challenging tone. "Neither of you are strong to even defend yourselves, let alone protect each other."

It wasn't fair. The man was no better than the bullies at the orphanage, telling harsh words to a little girl and making her cry. He was cold and fierce, fit for the cruel reality she was just discovering. But, at the same time, Kyrie didn't feel that he lacked sympathy. He was distant. She wasn't sure if it was pure disinterest or he wanted to keep a wall between him and the rest of the world.

As Kyrie rubbed her eyes, Nero approached her until they were a single step apart. He almost touched her shoulder, but stopped as soon as he looked at his arm.

The boy looked apologetically at her. "I promise I'll get strong, so you'll never have to be worried again! And then I'll protect you, for real!"

Nero turned away awkwardly, whispering goodbye. Kyrie's eyes widened in realization. Nero was going to leave, throwing himself to the world just to get stronger for her sake. If she stood still, quietly accepting his departure, she would be left behind, weak and incapable of anything, just like Vergil said, and that was unforgivable.

Kyrie ran towards Nero, almost tripping on her feet, and hugged him. "Then I'll get strong too, stronger than you, and _I_ will the one protecting you!" She promised with cracked voice, squeezing him tighter. "So come back sooner this time!"

Then, she shot a confrontational eye towards Vergil. "I promise!"

"This promise is between you two, it's not really my problem." Vergil looked away, lowering his voice. "But fair warning: tenacity can only take you so far. Humans have their limits."

"What do you know about humans, or me? Besides, Nero is my family too, and that's all I need."

Nero's face flushed, bashfully reciprocating the hug, while Vergil didn't say anything. After Kyrie said one last goodbye, she watched Nero and his father walk into the forest, until they disappeared in the dense fog, with a sad smile.


	5. For You, My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long chapter. I dragged it out a little, but I don't want to extend this fic too much with more chapters.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading as always!

When he left the bathroom, Dante was gifted with an amusing sight. He never imagined any living being would be ecstatic to see Vergil, much less rush towards him with a beaming smile. However, the moment he was in front of his father, Nero suddenly stopped, refrained from touching him and tried to regain composure, acting confident and serious in a poor attempt to mimic Vergil's behavior.

Vergil didn't move an inch, whispering something inaudible to his son. Dante could see he reacted differently, with an uncharacteristically soft face and relaxed movements. He even dropped his guard, completely ignoring his estranged brother. His hand slowly raised and hovered over Nero, unsure if he wanted to pull the kid closer or hug him, then settled with brushing his hair out of the face.

"Your hair is getting longer." He commented.

"I know." Nero pouted. "It always grows a bit when the devil comes out."

"It only grows because you let it happen. You need to learn how to control it faster." Vergil sighed. "your health depends on it."

"Wouldn't that be easier to learn if I get to use Pandora without the devil first? You do that all the time."

"We already talked about this. It's safer if you keep it inside your arm."

"Than let me get another Devil Arm!" The kid whined, rubbing the scales of his hand. "You never let me keep the ones we find!"

Vergil closed his eyes, keeping his patience in check. "The ones we found were either broken or useless. You can have your own Devil Arm the day you slay a worhty demon."

"I can't kill a demon when you kill them all first!"

Dante stepped in, curious about the subject. "I always figured you'd be a harsh teacher, but a counterintuitive one? The kid shouldn't keep a dangerous weapon if he can't use it."

Vergil looked the rather intrusive commentary was worth it because his brother would not let it slide, especially if it made him look bad in front of his son.

"The power of the Devil Arm is what keeps his condition from getting worse." Vergil answered as he examined Nero's frail skin. "The lack of control of his demon side is a small price to pay compared to the risk of misusing or losing the weapon."

"Ah, I see you've learned from experience." Dante quickly eyed Force Edge before refocusing on the subject. "Anyway, aren't you worried Nero might change permanently, he could barely keep his body in check back at the temple."

Nero shook his head. "No at all! If I can become a strong demon like my dad I won't be scared of anything, just like him!"

Dante frowned at him. He knew that Vergil would put his crazy ideas inside the kid's head, and turning into a demon sounded tempting for someone like him. Before it was too late, he wanted to give a small nudge, just to stir him away from that misguided path.

"Kid... Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Take yourself for granted. You're still a human, and you'll always be one. Don't forget that."

"But I'm so weak like this!" Nero protested. "And I promised that I will get strong..." 

Nero trailed off, his Devil Bringer glowing brighter as he got lost in thought. Dante decided to not ask about that subject, sensing that Vergil was ready to snap at him. He took a deep breath and gave his nephew an empty smile.

"Hey, why don't you go take a nice bath and grab something to eat? I already prepared everything for you."

Nero was confused by the sudden suggestion, then the confusion quickly turned into irritation. "You don't order me!"

Vergil put a hand on his son's shoulder, pushing him towards the door. "Nero, go."

The kid stared at his father and uncle with suspicion, then begrudgingly accepted the suggestion. He took his time walking away, feeling he needed to have the last word.

Just as the door closed Nero threatened Dante. "If I start stinking like you because of your bathroom, I'll kick you in the butt!"

The office remained in silence for a while, even without the front door. The moon was blocked by heavy clouds and the streets were empty at that time of the night. It was only when they heard the sound of a muffled shower that Dante began moving around and sat on his desk, starting the grown ups' discussion with a lazy yawn.

"I wanted a compensation for my door and my chair, but knowing you a bank would catch on fire just for some cash."

"Don't worry about it." Vergil shrugged. "You're not worth the trouble."

Dante chuckled. "I just want to be prepared for the next time you come here, wreck my house and throw insults at me."

"There won't be a next time."

"Aw. But I want to see Nero again. Maybe get a chance to have a mundane chat. You know, without worrying about a world destroying demon or a child's life."

Vergil's glare turned cold, knowing where the conversation was going. "He is not of your concern."

Dante dropped the casual tone and glared back. "It is when you're getting him involved in your little adventure."

The first drops of rain fell from the sky and invaded the office's entrance. A lightning hit close to their location, cutting the conversation for a second. That second was enough for Dante to breathe, grimace at the mess on the floor, and hear Vergil shifting from his spot, leaning on a wall.

Vergil continued the conversation in a dry tone. "I offered him a chance to fight and Nero accepted it on his own. It's you who underestimate his ability to keep up, and my strength."

Dante rolled his eyes. Despite being healed, Vergil was still tired from their encounter in the temple and his boast didn't bare the teeth it usually did. However, the devil hunter knew better than anyone else that, if enough buttons were pushed, his twin would start a fight just to spite him, and probably have the gall to declare himself victorious just for wrecking his property.

"What if I am? I did snatch the kid from you yesterday." Dante dared anyway. "' _And_ you couldn't slay that shiny demon that mugged you."

"Do you really think he has better options? Judge all you want, I don't care, but are you capable of doing better?" Vergil challenged. 

"Hard to compare when you refuse to tell the whole story." Dante dismissed. "I sure wouldn't take him anywhere near hell-"

"He's been there before. And he survived."

Dante was about the respond when they heard the handle of a door turning. Nero already finished his shower, putting an end to the discussion sooner than expected. To their surprise, the child walked to Dante's direction, dragging the long sleeves of the old clothes left for him with dramatic stomps, determined to voice his complaints. 

"Your clothes are too big!"

"You're welcome, shorty." Dante retorted. "Wait for ten years or just roll the sleeves up."

"Ten years?"

"Hm, maybe twenty years then."

Nero huffed at the response, and immediately got his demonic arm stuck in the cotton threads. Dante knelled down to help him, pleasantly surprised that the boy didn't reject him. Instead, he remained in silence, avoiding eye contact by staring at his limbs slowly emerging from the cloth.

After finishing, Nero said a barely audible thank you. Dante patted his head and messed his hair, completely ignoring Vergil's disapproval, still planted at the other end of the room. It was hard to determine if the disapproval was due to the argument leaving a bad taste in brother's mind, or there was something about his son he refused to share.

The hunter was so focused on his brother that he almost didn't listen to the sound of a motorcycle engine approaching his office. Lady was patiently waiting for him under the awning of the little bar across the street. She was barely visible with the rain, blending in the night with a black raincoat and wearing a tough expression.

"Excuse me, kid. You see, your uncle is pretty popular with the ladies." He winked at a puzzled Nero before standing up.

After helping his nephew with a snack Dante grabbed his gear and walked out into the cold shower. Behind him, Vergil approached Nero to announce in a loud and clear tone that he would cut the excessive cloth, essentially undoing his work and destroying his property.

The bar was mostly empty due to the time and the weather, with the few loners passing out on the tables and the hunters sitting on the balcony. The owner didn't want to bother with the lights and let the place bask in the dark, only lit by a couple of small lamps on the sides and the loud television. It was almost comfortable if the rain didn't make the place so damp.

Lady idly traced the top of her wine glass with her finger. She wasn't in the mood for a drink, but still picked something to keep Dante's whiskey company. They didn't share a word after greeting each other, silently enjoying each other company, until the huntress' curiosity surfaced.

"I see you finally made some progress with your nephew."

Dante sighed. "Not really. He only accepted my hospitality because his father was here."

"How sweet." Lady joked. "Still, I have to admit it was nice watching you guys handling a kid, even if it looked like you were about to go at each other's throats."

"It was better than expected, to be honest. Too bad I didn't learn much."

Dante told a very brief and dry summary of what he knew. They talked about Mundus, the angelic demons and Nero's involvement in the case. It was clear he politely left out the more personal parts and his opinions on the subject, except for a couple of harsh words to describe his brother. She didn't mind it since their complicated relationship was not her problem, no matter how worried she was and how much she voiced her opinion.

However, the potential danger the situation presented was. The huntress finally sipped her drink before changing the subject.

"I had time to talk to the weapons' dealer. Old man owned me a lot of money after I helped him with the mercs."

"Why am I not surprised?" Dante snarked. "Did you also stab him with your cannon?"

"No, he gave me a shiny new revolver instead, and armor piercing bullets. Packs a real punch, but it's a little cumbersome."

"That's so unfair! How come when I offer a Devil Arm as payment you never accept it?"

"I'll be dead before I need a Devil Arm, to kill _or_ to pay my bills. Besides, the smell of gunpowder will always beat the stink of a demon." Lady playfully eyed Dante, who grumbled and chugged his drink. "But that's not important now."

She stopped playing with her glass and switched her business face, making the devil hunter squirm in exasperation.

"I asked the dealer about cursed weapons. He said that Devil Arms are becoming popular in the underground market now that demon attacks are more common. You know, more power, more demons to kill and transform and more blood shed. Naturally, there are a lot of stories about accidents with them."

Lady could see that Dante was uninterested, eyes locked at his office and paying attention to the faint silhouettes walking on the doorless frame. She didn't blame him since he wanted to keep an eye on his family, and a couple of magical toys were the least interesting part of the story. Nevertheless, the huntress needed to prepare him for what could happen soon.

"He told me about a Devil Arm that resembled the one you found earlier. There was a mercenary who bought a peculiar dagger from the black market. It consumed blood to work, but it worked really well since killing humans was part of his job."

"So far it's just the stuff I already know." Dante said, turning his attention to the television.

"Well, here's the new information then." Lady said in a snappy tone. "One day, after an argument, he killed his lover with the weapon and grew inhumanly strong and mad, thirsty for more blood. He didn't need thousands of sacrifices, just one person he cared about was enough to awaken the weapon and gain its power. Luckily he died before turning into a monster or a portal, and the weapon was buried with his corpse."

Dante didn't move or say anything, looking at the TV with empty eyes. Lady gave him a long stare, letting him think before bothering with more words. After years working together and arguing together, she knew he was too stubborn to ask for help, but also too kind to let anyone get involved in his big problems. She could only pat him in the back and lend her strength when he needed. For a price, of course.

In a way, Lady was still bitter about Temen-ni-gru. She killed her father, exacting revenge, but nothing came after that. Her mother was still dead. His crimes didn't magically disappear. And little Mary was left behind by a woman that didn't want to look back.

And then there was Arkham's accomplice, who got a second chance and had a son. Although Dante was confident that Vergil cared a lot about Nero, even he admitted not knowing how much of that affection came from selfish reasons or sincere attachment. She wanted to shoot both of them for seemingly worrying more about each other's motives than the Nero's needs.

Not that she was any better. Deep inside she saw that as a second chance to save someone from a fate like hers.

"Do you think..." Lady began, with low, almost shy voice. "...That Vergil is capable of trading his son for his ambitions?"

"He..." Dante paused, drinking another glass to buy some time. "Well, I don't know anymore. Sure, the kid can pull his weight, and that arm is pretty useful, but I know Vergil likes him as a son and as a partner."

"You also complain that he's a selfish, stubborn man that only does anything if he has no choice or if it's convenient for him. Hard to imagine someone with that demeanour would have a son in first place."

"Either way, it's hard to judge, and it's not like the kid has a lot of options in first place..." Dante trailed off. "Still, people can change."

"Can a devil change too?" Lady teased with levity, earning a groan from Dante.

While the hunters drowned their thoughts, the television's sound blasted with the news. A bizarre massacre happened in a small village nearby, in which several victims were hacked and their blood drained. According to the testimonies, a golden and silver light flashed on the sky in the area minutes before the incident.

Lady and Dante dropped everything and looked at each other, realizing what was happening. They were about to state the obvious when suddenly the engine of Lady's motorcycle roared madly as tires screeched on the street.

"No way!" The huntress rushed to the entrance of the bar with her weapons out.

Vergil rode away at full speed, marking the asphalt and dashing through the rain. Lady had a clean shot on the tire, but seeing Nero in the back, looking back at her general direction, made her hesitate. She could only curse in frustration, almost throwing her pistol on the ground.

On the other hand, Dante just looked amused. "I didn't know he knew how to ride a bike. Or hijack one."

"If you don't kill him, _I_ will!" Lady threatened. "And I'll charge you!"

The trip was almost unbearable due to the old road being eroded by time and the rain. Although Vergil was annoyed he had to slow down, it was still better than walking or wasting his energy. At least Nero seemed to have fun on the passenger seat, either soaking in the water or messing with the contents in the bike's bag.

"What is this? It looks cool." Nero asked, looking at a revolver with his big, shiny eyes.

Vergil didn't have to look back to know what that woman carried. "It's a human weapon. A loud, unrefined and inefficient one."

"Oh, so it's like Dante. Can I keep it?"

"Do whatever you want, just don't pull that trigger." Vergil was curt. Although he disliked human weapons, that particular situation was like giving a toy to distract a child, and Nero would stop nagging about Devil Arms for a while.

They traveled in silence for a while, like they usually did. Sometimes Nero asked trivial questions or played with Vergil's coat tails, but he still looked restless.

"What happened between you two?" He finally asked.

Vergil turned his head for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You and Dante! You're always arguing when you meet!" Nero said impatiently. "Back at his house, you looked so angry and he looked so upset."

"Dante is a fool that wastes the potential he has, pretending he's a human and only seeking strength when a threat is at his door." Vergil explained. "He also thinks my pursuit for power is misguided."

"Why? Doesn't he know about the demons attacking everywhere?"

"That has nothing to do with it. We've had our differences for a long time, even before you were born."

"Wow!" Nero squeaked. "I can't imagine being angry at Kyrie for like, an hour. Sounds so tiring!"

"It is. And we will never have an agreement over this. He is too attached to our human roots, and I live to fulfill our father's legacy."

Nero went quiet, unsure about the conclusions. Vergil didn't like Dante anywhere near his son, and any sort of influence from that man would be troublesome. He knew they would meet each other sooner or later, so the best thing he could do was remind him of his promise.

"Don't think too much about it, this is between me and Dante." Vergil said. "Focus on your mission."

"Dad-"

"As long as that Nightmare still affects you, you cannot afford to waste time with these distractions." He urged.

"I get it, dad, listen-"

"Or conform to human boundaries, not if you want the power-"

"There's a-"

"I already saw it." Vergil accelerated, barely dodging a crimson whip that cut that split the road apart. "hold on."

Vergil took a detour in the woods beside the road, driving through the tall pine trees in order to slow the attacker down. The bike's engine complained about the incline and the mud as the forest became denser.

"I'm surprised they were even capable of using that weapon. I thought it was made for humans." He casually commented, dodging a vertical attack that sliced their cover.

They were close to the village the demon attacked, located at a valley ahead, and the cut trees opened a path towards the objective. Vergil shot Summoned Swords at a couple of branches in the way and used one of the logs as a ramp to jump. The enemy flew in front of them creating a crimson barrier to intercept them and making the motorcycle crash with the collision.

"Unfortunately, no upgrade will fix that dull style." Vergil scoffed just as he teleported in the middle of the village with Nero in his arms.

The smell of rot dominated the dark atmosphere, even with the rain washing the remains. Most of the houses were destroyed with careless cuts and bashes, and its inhabitants either reduced to smears or taken out by force. Nature didn't care about the indecency of the scene, already sending the maggots to feast on the several corpses to clean the mess.

Even though Nero was used with bleak scenarios, he got closer to his father, holding his hand tighter. The rain was so heavy it formed large puddles that covered his ankles.

"Don't look away." Vergil coldly instructed. "You'll leave yourself open to the enemy."

"I'm not scared..." Nero whimpered softly.

The familiar enemy hovered down to face them. Duetto Angelo raised his sword to duel. They looked damaged and dirty, losing the elegance their lustrous once had. The golden side was significantly worse due to an encounter with Vergil after the temple collapsed, with pieces of demonic flesh exposed and dented shield. A red corruption coursed through the body, mending old injuries and replacing bits of armor.

"Son of Sparda!" The demon's loud voice echoed. "We appreciate that you came for our rematch! It is unfortunate this battlefield isn't appropriate for such glorious event!"

Vergil ignored the speech and turned to Nero. "I'll handle this one, stay back."

"Ah, so you are intimidated of our power. We don't blame you." The Angelo boasted. "As we told you before, we are merciful. Surrender, and our master may give you a chance to redeem yourselves!"

Nero silently obeyed his order as the demons were greeted by a barrage of slashes. Duetto Angelo quickly split in two to avoid a direct hit and flew in different directions. Instead of using a pair of weapons, each of them had a half of the hilt in their hands, releasing an intense energy that powered the users.

The silver demon went to Nero's direction, chasing him at high speed towards the crumbled houses. Before Vergil could intercept them, the golden demon landed in front of him and created several golden spheres to turn the streets into a minefield. His artifact turned into a whip and to catch his target with long swipes.

"You will pay for what you did to me!" The demon yelled, making a red line dance around this opponent. "I will sacrifice you to the weapon, and you will become nothing but a dry corpse in the mud!"

Vergil didn't want to dignify him with a comment or even a taunt. He was still furious at the Angelo for taking their hit head on back at the temple, and for the lost time fighting the golden demon afterwards, while Dante walked away with Nero. He wasn't going to voice any of those frustrations, because a son of Sparda was better than them and, more importantly, he couldn't stand looking at their shiny faces anymore.

With his Summoned Swords, Vergil detonated as a distraction and sneaked in to hit the foe with a powerful uppercut. To his surprise, he was stopped by several red spikes that pierced his body. The demon laughed and turned his hilt into an axe, swinging madly and panting as the corrupt veins grew on his body, demanding more blood.

Vergil could feel the needles in his body draining his energy and feeding it to the opponent. He had no choice but to release his devil to destroy the spikes and counter the incoming attack with a divekick.

The silver demon ceased his chase to aid the golden counterpart, clashing blades with Vergil.

"Solo Solare, you're letting your emotions distract you." The demon reprimanded. "Go find more sacrifices, I'll hold the son of Sparda."

The golden demon fumed, but as soon as his bloody weapon collapsed, and his body began trembling, he silently nodded.

"Forgive me brother, I'll be back soon..." The demon growled as he retreated. "...But he is my prey to kill."

The silver Angelo and Vergil resumed the fight. Unlike his golden partner, the new opponent was more cool headed, striking only when he was safe and making use of his mobility. However, he was also more conservative, using the artifact only to defend himself.

"No need to hold back, you cannot defeat me anyway." Vergil taunted, bored by the dull fight.

The demon remained composed. "Tell me, son of Sparda, we know you've been scavenging our Master's work for a while. Do you really believe you can obtain his power?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions, puppet."

Vergil took advantage of the enemy's passive attacks to move the fight near a large puddle. The muddy water splashes hit the demon's eyes, distracting him from a swift cut that disabled his right hand, making him drop the silver sword.

"You seem to be more lucid than the yellow half. What is Mundus planning with all that noise lately?" Vergil asked in a demanding tone, crushing the fallen weapon with his Gilgamesh boot. "Answer me, and I might give you a quick death."

The half hilt started glowing, indicating that more sacrifices were fed from far away, and the silver demon covered himself with a bloody energy, like a second layer of armor that protected him from most direct hits.

The silver demon could ignore Vergil's attacks and took his time to summon a bow and arrow and give one last warning. "No matter how much your learn, and how much power you gain, you'll never defeat our master. Kill me, and nothing will change for you or for Mundus!"

"Aren't you tired of licking that demon's feet?" Vergil dismissed as he charged in, ignoring the bloody arrows in his way.

He dodged the incoming projectiles and swung his sword upwards, creating a thick wave of mud that concealed his body. The Angelo stepped back to avoid being blinded again and charged his next attack with all his might, patiently waiting for a sign. The moment he saw a shadow moving through the cover the arrow was shot.

The shockwave of the arrow's impact cleared the area of the dirty water, revealing he hit a corpse, thrown in the mud to act as a decoy. From his blindside, a blue devil cut off his left arm, effectively making him drop the hilt. While the demon stumbled in pain, a glowing arm appeared from his right side to grabbed him, crushing his armor and pinning him down.

Vergil approached the Angelo, turning back to his human form, while Nero appeared from the distance. The son of Sparda didn't waste time stabbing the demon in non lethal areas and interrogating him.

"I know no one, not even Mundus, wasn't born with that amount of power. He did something in order to become the ruler of the Underworld. Tell me, what do you know about his power?"

"...Very well. It won't matter either way." The Angelo looked around and reluctantly conceded. "These weapons and these experiments... I do not know how Mundus became so powerful, but I do know it involved the most impressive bloodbath to achieve it. Or at least the most impressive until now."

"So he plans to do a massive sacrifice soon?"

"Yes, the time is right. The doors between the worlds are opening, there's more life blooming now than ever, and his army is only getting stronger thanks to the child."

Nero gasped, almost releasing his grip. Vergil shot a stern eye to his son before questioning the demon. "What does that mean?"

"The reports from the Order of The Sword picked Mundus' interest. They said that when the child was cornered and injured, he was weak, worthless even. But the moment they threatened another person, someone he cared more than himself, he suddenly became inhumanly strong, defeating the enemies without effort and almost destroying their facility... All because of his devotion for another human."

The silver demon looked at Nero, who gingerly stepped back at the unwanted attention. He wanted to crush his hand to shut the enemy up, angry for remembering how he felt powerless when the demons dared to go after Kyrie, and how his arm changed after crying for a second chance.

Meanwhile Vergil was still focused on Mundus' interest. It wasn't like loyal demons didn't exist, and the Angelo even said there was more than enough humans to use that these details seemed meaningless to a being like him.

"Why would that matter? To him, humans are just nuisances or resources, and their feelings are beneath him. Perhaps he had a change of heart?"

"Ha, that's impossible." The Angelo ignored the mockery. "The child sparked his curiosity in human devotion. He wanted to see if a human's love can be as powerful as thousands of sacrifices, so he offered a second chance to us, humans that were rejected, hated and lost, to become his loyal weapons. He gave us the power of a devil in exchange of our hearts."

"Such a naive fool. A human who willingly sold his soul to become a guinea pig. And now you will die here, in the middle of nowhere" Vergil glared the demon in disgust. A single hint of pity slipped in his voice before Yamato's blade sang in the air. "Mundus will not shed a tear when your corpse sink in the mud. But don't worry, I'll make it quick."

"We know our master doesn't understand the meaning of empathy, and we are aware that we are mere tools of his will." The Angelo took a deep breath and smiled. "But we were nothing before. To even call us humans was too kind of your part. I will gladly sacrifice my heart and my soul when the time comes, for I am already satisfied with the new life I was given."

Nero's arm started flaring and he looked around, alert. Vergil only had time to grab his son and leap away as red lances fell from the sky, hitting everything on the area, including the silver demon. The golden Angelo arrived, covered in blood and pulsing in anger. He recalled the fallen half of the hilt and landed on his brother's side.

"Solo Lunare." He called, assembling the weapon and turning it into a sharp dagger. "It didn't have to be this way."

"It's okay. I am ready, brother. Our last test."

The golden demon let out a roar that echoed in the rain, shaking the fragile remains of the village. He stabbed the silver demon with vicious strength, letting the blood spill freely, mixing with the water and the mud. The artifact glowed, accepting the sacrifice and quickly absorbing the body.

Bloody tendrils appeared from the artifact and wrapped the golden demon, contorting his body and destroying his armor. Limbs began forming and deforming as he began losing his self, turning him into an abomination similar to the flesh pile they found in the temple. It pulsed with life and cried in misery.

Vergil looked unimpressed, sheathing his sword and ready to walk away. "All of that hassle to end like this."

Nero tried to approach the mess before his father held him. "Shouldn't we clean this?"

"This thing is not a problem anymore. The demon will probably die soon anyway."

"But-" The boy stared at his arm. "But he said it was because of me that-"

"His actions were his own. If you let his words get to you, you will become afraid to do anything for yourself."

The rain finally stopped, leaving the battlefield in a silent, soaked mess. Only the muffled thunders and the night breeze cried for the dead as Nero silently looked at his arm, unsure about the conclusion. While they were distracted, they heard a faint click behind them.

Dante pointed his guns at Vergil, prepared to attack him. "And I'm ready to stop you from doing anything that'll throw more lives away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see I suck at naming things. At first I wanted to name the Angelos after musical terms since they are Duetto (duet) in their combined form and Solo in their separated forms. The silver guy was Solo Cordofoni (chordophone), who wielded a weapon that resembled a violin bow. The golden guy was Solo Percussioni (percussion), who wielded shields that could produce giant shockwaves upon impact.  
> Then I got too lazy to describe them and to write scenes that made use of these abilities, so they're just golden shield boy and silver stabby boy, and now they're dead.


	6. Your Heart, Your Responsability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long lol. I got busy and then I didn't know how to finish some parts.  
> Anyway hope you enjoy this and thanks for your patience!

Lady grimaced at the pile of contorted metal that used to be her motorcycle, silently mourning years of investment washed away. Most of her belongings were either unrecognizable or too soaked to be salvaged, and the few guns that were fine were so dirty she didn't even want to recover, already feeling the pain of disassembling and cleaning them, one part at a time. Knowing the risks of the job, the huntress wasn't too attached to material goods, but it was still depressing to see all the high-end, carefully customized possessions destroyed in a single night. And the worst part was that none of the culprits had the money, or had any value as bounties.

She could only kick the detached wheel and unenthusiastically curse in defeat. "If a pot of gold doesn't magically appear here I'll kill them myself..."

Her sorrow was short lived as the sound of blades clashing echoed in the dead village, bringing her back to reality. Lady took her time examining the destruction, the poor souls slayed on the ground and the huge inhuman mass in the middle of the main street, just like the one Dante described. Standing near it, a lone boy looked indignantly at his demon arm, shivering in the cold breeze.

She gingerly approached him with and offered her raincoat. "Hey."

"You're Dante's friend..." Nero was curt, too focused on his troubles to notice the offer, though he didn't seem to mind the coat gently put on his shoulders.

"And you're Vergil's son." Lady awkwardly complemented and looked around in search for the source of the clashes. "Where are the others?"

"They're arguing on the other side." He pointed at the edge of the village, not far from them. "They told me to not interfere. Adult talk or something like that..."

She could see faint flashes of light and feel little tremors on the ground. It didn't sound like the fight was on a fatal level, at least not for those devils' standards. In any case it wasn't her problem. Her actual problem was the uncomfortable dead air between her and Nero.

"It doesn't seem like you want to stay here."

Nero shrugged dismissively. "I don't."

"I see."

"..."

"..."

Lady wanted to eat her pistol. After all the big talk about the kid and the aggressive thoughts about that cursed family, the moment she finally reached Nero, alone and lost, her treacherous mind backed down, unable to find a way to open up and simply talk about anything. At the end of the day, they were simply two unconsolable strangers standing next to each other, nothing more.

Silence reigned, somehow louder than the rain splashing on the ground and the fight in the distance, until Lady caught a glimpse of a metallic object under Nero's shirt. It was her new revolver, the only thing that survived from the crash.

"My gun..." She thought out loud, surprised and pleased that it was intact.

Nero shot a confused look, slowly going from the barely concealed revolver to the huntress, then realization quickly hit him as his face turned red in embarrassment and shame. Small hands scrambled through his shirt, clumsily grabbing and offering the weapon to its rightful owner.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, sounding disappointed in himself. "...And sorry about your other stuff. That bike was yours, right?"

Lady bit her lip, tempting to tease him about the little crime, but she knew it would sound too awkward and make the situation worse for both of them. Instead she chuckled, happy to discover something survived the crash, and used it to cheer Nero up.

"You know what, you can keep it. I... prefer pistols over revolvers anyway!"

He still looked guilty, but there was a small glimpse of gratitude on his face. "...Really?"

The huntress gave him a small nod, hoping he didn't catch on her white lie. "Ah, yeah! I prefer fire rate over power on my side arms, you know, the quick shots, seeing the bullets cases flying around, turning demons into Swiss cheese..."

Her mouth moved on its own, nervously diving into the familiar subject she clearly knew too much about, to a person that had no idea what he was listening to. With a deep breath, Lady refocused on the subject and lowered herself to Nero's level, realizing she just gave a weapon to a confused child

"Ah, excuse me." Lady apologized and checked his grip on the revolver. He looked too small compared to the cumbersome gun, holding it by the cylinder, with fingers dangerously close to the trigger. Demon or not, eating a bullet wouldn't be a pleasant experience. "Well, if you're going to use a gun, I guess I have to teach you the basics."

"I don't know..." Nero avoided eye contact and tried to hide his obvious interest. "My dad doesn't believe in human weapons. He's not going to like-"

"That's your father's opinion. What do _you_ want?"

"I..." Nero hesitated a little, but as he remembered his mission, his face gradually dropped the innocent look and displayed the same stubborn determination his family did. "I want to get stronger."

He looked at his demonic arm, as well as his frail human arm that held his new weapon. Then, he turned to the gigantic mass of flesh with heavy eyes. Lady didn't know if she could ask about the abomination without freaking him out, so she decided to leave that subject to his family and focused on his interest.

"Your father may not like these weapons, but you _are_ interested, aren't you?" Lady teased. "So why not learn the potential of the human power?"

The light on Nero's eyes as he squeezed the revolver was just the answer Lady wanted. She quietly smiled and promptly began teaching the basics of his new weapon.

Beside them, the mass of flesh began cracking open, and hot golden lava leaked out. Nero's glowing arm was the only warning they received before a bright figure erupted from the bloody molt.

Dante was quick on his feet, hopping around to avoid the muddy puddles and dodging slashes that cut the air in front of his face. Despite being in a bad mood, aggravated by his soaked clothes and the putrid smell of death, he was taking his time taking a more defensive stance. The hunter wanted to observe his twin after ticking him off with several questions, ranging from Mundus' plans to Nero's purpose in that journey.

On the other hand, Vergil was irritated by Dante's passiveness and responded with overly aggressive attacks. His eyes were icy, somehow colder than usual, piercing his target along with a barrage of Summoned Swords. He knew the moment his brother decided to drag him away from Nero for a talk that the jokes and pretenses would be dropped, but even he was surprised, and furious, by how blunt the accusations were.

"Did you come all the way here to dance after insulting me? Fight like a son of Sparda and stop wasting my time!"

"I told you, I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to stop you..." Dante retorted without a trace of levity in his tone. "...Before you do something regrettable to the people around you!"

"Do you really believe that I'm this desperate?" The twin snapped.

"Sorry, but I can't trust the word of a bastard who tried to kill his own brother for a shiny new toy!" Dante pointed Force Edge at his brother to emphasize his argument, taunting him with the power that was snatched from his hands. "It's only fair to ask about his safety."

Vergil actually stopped to laugh, spite radiating from his voice. "Don't flatter yourself! I'd kill you for a new pair of boots!"

The fight was too slow and uncoordinated for either brother to care about petty hits. Vergil was beyond tired, cursing Fate for presenting every single event in his life specifically to mock him. The Silver Angelo's words were still echoing in his ears, admittedly sparking the same dark curiosity that attracted Mundus, the power of one's devotion to achieve power. And just when the air was clearing, after the issue literally died by itself, Dante had to step in, pointing finger ans his guns at his face for daring to challenge his weak, human limits.

But he wasn't going to let those words get in his way. Vergil ran his fingers through his soaked white hair, hiding his sore muscles to proudly show off his conviction.

"I don't need to throw my son's life away to defeat Mundus. I _will_ kill him with my own hands."

It was Dante's turn to laugh with forced enthusiasm, using the same sharp tone as his brother. "Bold claim for someone who went to my house to cry about your stolen weapon. And cut this crap! I know you plan something reckless by searching Mundus' backyard."

"Not only you steal my child, you also brag about your faulty memory. And it's not reckless, it's called research. Knowledge is the best way to plan your next step, something you refuse to do in these trying times."

"I don't need this research to fight Mundus. In fact, I bet I can beat his marble ass before your dirty your pretty hands, and all the trouble you went through won't mean anything."

Vergil raised his brows with with mild interest. "Oh, who's the one making the bold claims now, brother? Have you even been doing anything besides living behind a desk, serving humans for a handful of cash?"

Dante gritted his teeth and smiled mischievously, not wanting back down from his boast. "You know what, screw it! _I_ will be the one to defeat Mundus, and I won't need a child's hand or sacrifice a single life to do it! Go home and be a family man, maybe learn what a job is instead of laughing about it."

" _You?_ Fighting him? Maybe in your alcohol induced dreams. I can reach him first and kill him before you even touch the Underworld!" Vergil proudly twirled Yamato with elegance, blatantly showing off the weapon that had the ability to traverse space.

"As if! I won most of our races back in the day. Think you can win just because you have a little cheat now?"

"Your memories really _are_ faulty. Do I have to remind who cheated all the time?"

"I never cheated because you could never prove it, moron!"

"One fact doesn't negate the other, you imbecile! And how do cheats even apply to this situation?"

"You're the one who always get fussy over the rules. Are we banning Devil Arms to make this fair?"

The brothers suddenly stopped trading insults and stared at each other, realizing what their argument turned into. Like reckless children elaborating a dangerous game to settle their differences, Dante and Vergil turned the ludicrous task of defeating Mundus, the demon lord, into a race.

"So..." Dante smiled. "... You gonna propose your rules or what?"

The thrill of the challenge sparked a fire inside the sons of Sparda, shaking their bones with an excitement neither felt in years. It was more than defeating a formidable opponent, or achieving glory, it was an opportunity to beat each other in a competition. Both knew how imprudent and honestly stupid the idea was, but it was the only way they could work towards a common objective without committing fratricide, mainly because rubbing the hypothetical victory in a dead person's face wouldn't be as satisfying.

Vergil sneered, but went along with the banter. "Winner gets ignore every past loss and bragging rights forever."

"Fine. You were always a sore loser." Dante waved his hands in dismissal. "But only if you do it by yourself. Kid stays out of this game."

"What are you implying? I fight my own fights regardless of Nero's presence."

"Getting a companion is still cheating in my book. Besides, he should be learning how to pick his own fights instead of acting as your shadow, no?"

Just when things started to calm down, the ground began trembling and something erupted from the pile of flesh left in the middle of the village. A gigantic, languid hand, covered in melting gold, so hot the humid air around it instantly evaporated and created a cloud of steam. It stretched towards the sky, glowing so brightly it was like a sun was rising from that spot, illuminating the wrecked streets. And anguished roar echoed throughout the valley, shaking the trees of the forest in the area. 

The demon revealed itself by erupting his new wings, pulverizing what was left of the burning cocoon. He was enormous, significantly bigger and bulkier than his previous forms, wearing uneven armor, always boiling in pure liquid gold and deforming his body as the melting metal ran through the skin. The monster was no longer elegant, dignified enough to be called an angel, exposing his true nature of a demon that pretended to be something else.

Near the monstrosity, Lady and Nero ran as fast as they could, avoiding from the drops of golden lava that splashed near them. They took cover behind a destroyed house, hoping the debris could handle the heat for a while. The temperature of the area was rapidly rising and, combined with high humidity left by the rain and the stench of the corpses, the air felt heavy and breathing was painfully difficult.

Despite the dire situation, Nero was ready to return to battle. He took a deep breath before preparing to fight the demon, only to be grabbed by Lady.

"Where do you think you're going?" The huntress questioned.

"I have to fight him!" He responded impatiently.

"You're just going to burn yourself like this!" Lady held him tighter. "We will fight him, but first we need to survive and find those two idiots!"

"No, I can kill him by myself!" Nero yelled. "It's my fault he exists, so it's my responsibility!"

"What?"

The confession confused Lady for long enough to give Nero an opportunity to free himself from her grip. The boy leaped from the cover, searching for higher grounds in order to face the monster head on. He reached the top of what was left of a roof and shouted defiantly.

"Hey, you ugly butt!" Nero taunted. "You look even dumber! So dumb you can kill me with that look!"

His lips trembled in anxiety as his opponent slowly turned to his direction without wasting words or time. The demon towered over him, glowing with rage and burning everything around him, like a sun coming down to scorch his soul for his sins.

"I guess he's aware..." The kid swallowed hard. "Aware enough to be mad at me."

Feeling the sweat on his skin, irritated by the unbearable heat, Nero braced himself and prepared to use everything he had. He wasn't entirely confident if he could handle the fire, but he didn't dare to run away.

When the enemy entered his range, Nero didn't think twice before using his Devil Bringer to snatch him by his face, hoping the attack could throw him off balance. However, the heat became so intense not even the spectral limb could resist it, catching on fire the moment it touched the molten armor. He felt an intense pain reaching his real arm, all the way inside his bones and flinched in panic. In a moment of weakness, Nero lost his focus and his energy dissipated.

Vulnerable and irritated, he shook his arm and desperately tried to summon his power, any power. Nero closed his eyes in a pitiful attempt to concentrate and to ignore the Devil Bringer glowing weakly to warn about the obvious. The monster moved fast for his size, burning the roof with his presence alone, and winded up to grab the kid. In the last second, Lady showed up from behind to pick him up and zipped away with her Kalina Ann's hook shot as quickly a she could. 

"Are you actually insane?" She yelled at him, tempted to drop the kid on the mud for his actions as she swung away.

The golden demon chased after them with clumsy steps, still not used with his new form and splashing his armor all around him. The sudden movement made the lava rain fall on top of the duo and burn the rope from Lady's weapon, making her and Nero fall on ground. Lady quickly brushed off the impact and the fire to retaliate, shooting an anti-tank missile at his face to open him up, followed by an incendiary grenade to throw him off with an improvised heat treatment.

The demon was hit dead on and his face split apart with the explosion, showering the village with lava. Although he was left headless and displaying a deep injury carved in his liquid chest, he was clearly still alive and confused. The unstable armor already began to regenerate the lost parts, while some parts bubbled and screamed with a horrifying cries, like several mouths opening and melting down in boiling pain.

From the gaping injury, Nero could feel something familiar inside.

"The red weapon..." He whispered.

A mess of limbs and tendrils grew on the base of his neck, slowly stitching a new face, one more distorted and demonic looking, fitting to his true self. While his new eyes still adjusted to the environment, Lady grabbed Nero and ran behind the first tree she reached. Lady took the little time out they had to pay attention to her shoulder, which was burned during the chaos, then turned to Nero.

"You're not going to solve anything if you're dead, kid!" She berated.

"But I can-"

"I don't care if you're as tough as your uncle's forehead, burning yourself just because you feel bad won't fix whatever the hell you did!"

Nero shut his mouth, cheeks burning in frustration. He wanted to retort, argue that it was his fight, that he could defeat the demon, but he knew it was wrong. There was a feeling of guilt sinking in his stomach as the kid stared at Lady's injury, realizing that not only he caused that, but even that could have been avoided if she didn't gave him her heavy coat. He turned to his arm, his main weapon and source of power that failed him in a moment of weakness and let the enemy intimidate him.

"Hey, kid, these injure are nothing." Lady patted his back, cutting his thoughts. "Your sense of duty is admirable, but don't beat yourself too much for your mistakes. It might kill you before you can fix them."

The demon screamed, searching for the little nuisances that dared to defy him. He didn't even remember what they looked like or even why he was mad at them anymore, only knowing they needed to die. He took his time to crush everything in his path with little care and leave a trail of gold and fire on his way, making it hard to catch anyone by surprise.

When his patience was at his lowest, and he was ready to blow the whole are to cinders, a challenger finally announced himself with a couple of gunshots echoing in the distance. Dante was standing at the top of a ruined chapel tower, casually twirling his pistols. The demon turned to the hunter with wide eyes, recognizing the face of the man that humiliated him, and rushed towards the devil hunter fuming in rage, aggressively flailing his arms and letting the gold melt the building.

"Man, I always wished free money suddenly appeared in front of me, but this is a little ludicrous." Dante hopped out of the way, kiting his enemy away from the others. Even he felt that the heat was too much for his skin, flinching when he tried to use his sword for direct hits, and decided to keep his distance.

The ground below the demon was suddenly torn apart, making him lose balance and crash into the tower, almost hitting Dante with the debris and the liquid fire. Vergil appeared behind him, relentlessly attacking with Yamato's long range cuts. To his annoyance, the body simply liquified and quickly regenerated by reforming any lost part, and to make things worse, after every injury he seemed to recover faster, not caring about all the agonizing pain he clearly felt.

"Go ahead, brother, you can gobble all that tacky gold."

Dante landed safely on the ground and frowned at the smoke that was coming from his coat tail, caught by his brother's reckless attack. "After all that trouble you went for the prize? Nah, I'm an honest player. You go snatch your treasure."

Still on the ground, the demon's armor started shifting erratically until spikes were formed on its surface. Before the brothers realized what was happening, a wave of incandescent lances shot from the body and rained down on the village, much like Vergil's Summoned Swords, burning and stabbing everything they landed on.

Dante quickly ran behind the fallen tower and turned to Vergil, who predictably teleported beside him.

"Is that the same shiny guy from the temple? How the hell did he do get that powerful?"

Vergil ignored the question, too focused on their opponent. Each move, each attack and each recovery the demon performed seemed to take an absurd amount of effort to perform, but it looked like he had all the energy in the world, fueled by pure devotion and irrational hatred. It was hard to believe the Angelo gained that much power after sacrificing his own brother, almost compensating the ridiculous new look and the loss of sanity. And on top of that, he proved Mundus' theory right and, if there really was a whole army of fools willing to give their lives for the Demon king, their situation was much worse than expected.

"So, it _is_ possible..." He said to himself, not caring about a judgemental Dante. "If those pathetic puppets could gain so much power through such simple ritual, then..."

His mumbles were interrupted by a golden arm swatting their cover away. Irrationally enraged by seeing their faces again, the demon roared, turning his hand into a broadsword attempting to crush the twins with a downwards thrust. Despite his power, he was quite slow and heavy for his own good, while his targets moved too fast to make such attacks worth the effort.

"This is the golden Angelo we fought before, yes." Vergil finally explained as they unsuccessfully tried to attack from afar. "He sacrificed his silver counterpart and was consumed by the artifact, turning into that abomination just like the one back in the temple. For some reason, he overcame the curse of the weapon and turned into this monster."

"And you were planning to run away from this blob of gold before I arrived." Dante commented dryly. "So what's with Nero's drama a while ago? Was he feeling bad for the demons?"

Vergil sighed while dodging the demon's slow stomps. "He just thinks too hard on matters beyond his grasp, as always."

"Huh, first time you sound like a normal father, I'm almost impressed."

"Don't talk like you know what that means."

The demon grew impatient with the unsuccessful attacks and the bickering and stopped moving. He commanded his thrown lances to melt and gather around the twins, forming spikes on the ground. While Dante and Vergil jumped away, the demon took advantage of the split second distraction by molding his arms into a hard knuckle and punched them with a powerful right hook and knock them into a house, painfully crashing walls and pillars with their faces.

From her cover, Lady was almost entertained by the Sparda pinball before turning her attention to her plan.

"I'm sure they can handle this, but it's not going to be easy." She commented without much confidence. "Was he always capable of all this?"

"I dunno." Nero shrugged. "Well... He could make almost anything with the red weapon. but he wasn't this powerful before."

"You think he can explode or open the portal if things get too intense?"

Nero looked at his arm, which flared as much as it did back in the temple. "Maybe, I think I felt that weapon's power when you blew him open. It feels like he's getting stronger too!"

"Great, we should warn those two when we get the chance. I'll distract him, you go warn them."

While she instructed Nero, Dante and Vergil decided to ditch the long ranged approach and use their devil power to tank the heat. The former Angelo didn't seem to care, molding himself whenever he needed to recover from cuts and punches, stitching himself back while the twins suffered from severe burns. Without moving from his spot, the demon created a whip that cut the ground and spread golden rifts across the village. The houses, trees and corpses that were caught in the attack either pulverized or fell into the chasm and were consumed by the bright inferno.

Dante looked at the seams, which boiled in pure energy. "Does this guy's battery ever run out? I think he's even growing brighter by the minute!"

"No, I think he's getting used with his new power." The twin speculated.

True to Vergil's guess, the Angelo began rushing and striking with enough precision to predict his opponents' movements, and skilled enough to use the cracks on the ground to generate weapons. However, from his blind spot, a couple of flash grenades hit his face, immediately disorienting him, and making the demon crashed into the tower he destroyed earlier. As Lady kept him busy with her firepower, Nero ran towards his family.

"Hey, that Lady said to stop annoying him too much because it might trigger the red weapon inside him!"

"What does that mean?" Vergil questioned.

"We think he could explode, or even open a gate if he gets too angry! It's too dangerous to fight him!"

They were briefly interrupted by rumbles coming from the rifts. Pure energy flowed towards the Angelo, who grew brighter with and stronger as he regenerated fast enough to ignore Lady's attacks. He shot his lances from his body again, faster with more intensity than before, making everyone scramble to the outskirts, near the forest outside the village. Dante picked a hesitant Nero up and created a wall of ice with Cerberus as soon as he ran to the woods.

"So we should just wait until he melts or wait for the winter?" The devil hunter shook his head in annoyance. "Not gonna lie but this doesn't sound fun or practical. It's like letting an angry, walking volcano alone. The whole region might burn before he gets bored!"

"This is just pathetic." Vergil complained. "And drop my son, he doesn't need your protection."

"Oh brother, we can talk about protecting things after we get rid of the problem, and I bet your ass we're discussing that...-"

Dante suddenly trailed off, looking at the demon as if he was a puzzle, then he looked at Yamato and mumbled to himself.

"Getting rid of the problem, huh?"

Vergil squinted his eyes, curious about his brother's behavior. "What's wrong? Did you finally realize how idiotic you sound?"

Dante turned to Nero, still firmly held in his arm. "Kid, you and Lady think he can open the portal if we annoy him enough, right?"

"Uh, yeah?" Nero responded. "It was a guess, but I think it's true because I felt its power when she tore his face off."

"Okay, so maybe...-" Dante started thinking, making Vergil worried. "What if we want him to open that portal?"

Both father and son stared at him, baffled by the idea.

"Yeah, you heard me. Instead of fighting this dude let's just send him home!" Dante enthusiastically announced his plan. "With the Yamato's ability to cut dimensions, and with his power he can probably open a big portal. Then we just need to nudge him until, I don't know, he implodes or goes straight to Hell!"

Vergil looked incredulously at the devil hunter, wondering if the excessive heat dried his brother's brain, and was ready to ditch the whole fight and walk away if Dante wasn't still holding his son.

"You're really dumb." Was Nero's only opinion on the proposal, and no one could object him.

The monster smashed the ice right between them before Dante attempted to explain further, and locked his eyes on Vergil. The devil hunter took that opportunity to slip away with Nero.

"Since he likes you so much, why don't you keep him busy? I gotta find Lady to help us with my plan." He yelled as he disappeared. "We'll prepare the stage just for you!"

"Such a pain..." Vergil complained, using Yamato to deflect the attacks. "...Both of you."

Despite the absurd idea, Vergil decided to give it a shot, too irritated by a persistent enemy that wouldn't die to object. As much as slaughtering strong demons was entertaining, the Angelo and his never ending power have overstayed his welcome for far too long, and anything to get rid of him sounded like a wonderful plan. The proud son of Sparda decided to face the demon and stand his ground, using Yamato's full power to slow him down and patiently waiting for the opening his brother promised.

However, deep inside he was even more irritated with Dante, who was confident in his cooperation to freely order him around and kidnap his son again.

"If this doesn't work, I know who I'm killing first."

Meanwhile, Dante found Lady on the other side, panting after running around the village to avoid the demon's fury without her grappling hook. He gave her a hand and dropped Nero near her.

"Lady, do you still have the ammo to blow him up again?"

"Do you also ask the sun if it rises every day?" Lady snarked, already reloading her bazooka.

"Yeah, yeah. Just shoot him when you're ready. And stay away from the demon."

Nero tugged Dante's coat, worried but also willing to cooperate. "What about me? I want to-"

"You can keep Lady safe from here."

Before Nero could protest, Dante dashed towards the battle, using Cerberus to slow down the demon and stop the fire, hoping that at the very least he could keep the heat in the village instead of setting the whole valley on fire. From the distance, Lady proceeded to hit the demon with a barrage of missiles, splitting the demon's face and torso in half and exposing his insides.

Vergil didn't waste time pitying the monster melting disgracefully and used all his power to cut reality itself in his chest. A flash of light appeared from the demon's chest as a portal opened with a sudden explosion, stronger than the one before, and the world around it seemed to sink in. The ground, the debris and the corpses dragged their way in, revealing the unsettling gray void. From the bottom of the hole, where the familiar red pit pulsed with dark energy, chains snaked their way out and grabbed what remained from the melting body and turned it into an anchor between the worlds.

Dante approached the portal, standing near Vergil, and whistled at the view. "That was easy enough! Now we just need to shut it down before someone notices it, I don't think this thing can close by itself with all the power it has."

It was indeed a lot of power, but with a hefty price. Vergil stared deeply at the abomination that somehow still fought for his life, glaring at him with all the rage he could express and screaming in pain. The son of Sparda wondered if he could crumble just like the Angelo and sacrifice something dear to his heart to achieve something greater, considering their circumstances and his chance of success.

Vergil turned to Nero, who wandered in the sidelines and stared intently at the drained rifts, and wondered if the achievements would be greater than the sacrifices in that case. He was furious at himself for asking if he loved him enough to bet his life like the miserable Angelo, or if he loved him enough to leave him out of that. Maybe one day, when he stared at the abyss long enough and realized there was nothing left, he would know the answer.

Regardless of his own conclusions, he would never voice those thoughts out loud. He didn't feel like giving more fuel to Dante's self-righteousness nor he wanted to admit he could fall like the Angelo. 

Distracted in his own world, Vergil registered a yell of warning a second too late. The rifts extended through the whole village, devouring the remaining material and opened a bigger hole on the heart of the portal. The ground itself broke and began collapsing, making everyone stand on dangerously unreliable platforms that threatened to fade away or fall.

Dante was already rushing to the portal's mouth, using everything he had to destroy it. "This thing will swallow the whole valley if we let it alone!"

Long and languid limbs and tendrils formed from the bottom of the cracks, flailing blindly in search for more victims or destroying whatever they touched. The demon, no longer attached to his physical body, spread his influence through the whole area in a desperate attempt to fight for his life, or to share his demise.

While Dante was busy fighting his own way out, an arm managed to grab Vergil by his leg and smash him against the ground, creating more cracks and threatening to throw him into the void. Stunned, his vision was a blur out and his blood quickly pressured his head. His leg burned with the contact, affecting his nerves, and there was the possibility that the limb had to be cut off to free himself. Obviously Vergil could regenerate a limb, but the move would cost him more time and energy than he was allowed to waste.

When the pain was almost overpowering his senses, he felt someone running towards him. Another Angelo, a glowing, blue knight ripped the arm holding him and used the chaotic shot from Pandora to break some of the chains holding the portal, weakening the structure. Vergil fell near the chasm, then the armor fell on top of him, panting in exhaustion, and fell backwards as it dissolved.

Vergil felt the weight of Nero stumbling on his chest, snapping him back to reality despite the distracting pain. The boy stood beside him, still willing to fight, despite his Devil Bringer feeling too heavy and dull to do anything, a combination of exhaustion and anxiety that he couldn't hide no matter how much he tried to look tough.

Instead of relying on his demonic heritage, Nero pulled his revolver and shot with closed eyes, too eager to hit something and make a difference. The sudden recoil caught him off guard and made the kid accidentally stumble backwards and accidentally drop the weapon on his side. Quick on his reflexes, Vergil caught both and calmly aimed the revolver at the tendrils.

"I told you to not look away. Guns like this have limited shots, so make your shots count." Vergil scolded, shooting the remaining bullets with deadly precision. Despite being ineffective, the attack slowed the limbs down for long enough for them to recompose and move away from immediate danger.

"I thought you didn't like these weapons." Nero asked while rubbing his palms, still feeling the revolver's recoil.

"I dislike them, and I don't need them, but that doesn't mean I don't know how they work."

With everyone's efforts, they efficiently broke all the chains. What was left of the abomination was slowly descending, and the rifts finally lost its energy after all the damage sustained, becoming weaker every time they regenerated and ultimately losing the endurance battle. 

Mildly satisfied with his poorly thought out plan, Dante calmed down and looked at his family. Vergil was busy lecturing Nero, carefully cleaning his face from all the dirt and fume. He looked serious, almost too harsh with the way he gestured, but his soft eyes showed how much the twin truly cared about his son, and maybe he could actually be an adequate father. Not a great one, since he would keep dragging the kid to dangerous places, but good enough to provide protection and love. 

However, the devil hunter wasn't sure about that situation, taking a long look at the damage caused by the battle. The village was gone, like it never existed in first place, and the valley looked more like a crater. He couldn't deny that letting Vergil on such loose leash, ignoring his suspicions, was ultimately a bad move.

No matter how much his brother cared about Nero, his reckless ambitions were priority. As long as he felt weak, and as long as there were battles to fight, and as long as he had something to prove, Vergil would never stop searching for power. It didn't help that things would only escalate. The demons infesting the streets, new armored soldiers made by Mundus, the strange experiments he had little context about. Normally he would be more patient to see how things would unfold, but the Angelo's own actions, sacrificing his partner to turn into a monster with unimaginable power, still weighted his consciousness. His mind paused, thinking what could be done to stop that madness before it snowballed into a bigger tragedy.

As the rudimentary gate slowly closed, Dante stepped forward into the void, landing on a broken piece of chain that floated around the entrance. Lady was the first one to notice his act of stupidity.

"Did you lose your brain in there? What are you doing?"

Dante shrugged nonchalantly. "You know... I just felt like I have some stuff to do there. Check on all the noise coming from there, raise some hell."

Vergil looked at him with surprise, anger slowly building up in his voice. "Are you planning to go the Underworld by yourself, after denying me the same all those years ago?"

"Well I _did_ say I could beat some scrub earlier, and it seems like Fate kindly presented an opportunity for me, someone who can't open a door whenever I want." Dante glared back as he hopped further into the portal. "I'll show you-"

He barely dodged a dive kick coming in his direction. Vergil landed in front of him, prepared to bash his head with Gilgamesh ready on his knuckles.

"I won't let you jump down and let years of my life go to waste. I'll be the one to kill him..." Vergil stomped the chain with his boot, rattling the weak platform they stood on. "...And you."

"Aw, you do care! Isn't it just _flattering?_ " Dante sneered and punctuated by planting his sword down, doubling down on the reckless behavior. "If you care that much about risks, step out while you can. I have a lot less to lose than you in this game."

Knowing exactly what his brother was talking about, Vergil gave an irritated glance at Nero, who stood at the edge of the safe ground with a puzzled face. Before he could talk or call him, Dante was ready to argue against his next move.

"He's not ready. You saw how he panicked earlier, didn't you-"

"You speak like you know him." Vergil quickly cut his words.

"I don't know him, but I know this isn't his business. He still has time to get out and live a life without this nonsense!"

"You're too late to stop this. It is his business as long as my blood run in his veins, and no matter what he does or where he goes, he'll face the same demons I do." Vergil looked at the portal, slowly fading away with the remains of the gold that doomed the village. He took a deep breath, feeling the fatigue and the pain of the ordeal hitting his nerves at once. "It's only responsible of my part that he stays with me, even if he has to go to hell."

Dante clicked his tongue in frustration, aware that not only Nero didn't have a lot of options, he could be as stubborn and reckless as the rest of his family. The hunter then remembered past discussions they had earlier.

"You know... You told me it was his choice, to fight with you and become strong. Why don't you ask him about his choice again?"

Vergil thought for a moment, aware that his brother was trying to do something. He knew that despite all that mockery and aggro for the sake of competition, it was obvious that Dante also wanted to keep Nero away from their problem. Nevertheless, he wanted to talk to his son in order to make a decision, and that was a conversation between the two of them alone, no matter what Dante said or wanted to do.

He turned to Nero, masking his doubts in order to look like the confident father his son admired.

"I need to ask you a question."

It was a productive night. That was how Lady wanted describe it, being as optimistic as possible after her target escaped to the sewers and turned her job into the most disgusting pursuit of her life. The demon pretended to be an easy target, cowering like a defenseless animal, and led her into its trap, a nest of Hells waiting for them at the bottom of the structure. unfortunately for him, no Hell in the world could contain the fury of a huntress who fell into the nasty water, killing and cursing each one of them with a level of violence none of those damned creatures were prepared for.

Distracted by her own frustrations, Lady didn't notice the shadows in the walls gaining life, revealing a Sin Scissor phasing through. It sneaked in while a Hell ate a grenade, ready to kill the target what one snip. Unexpectedly, the demon didn't notice someone walking behind it and putting a bullet in its mask at the last second.

The scissor fell on Lady's side and cut another demon around her, but the sharp end almost grazed her hair, too close to comfort for her to consider it a stylish kill.

"You're late." She complained.

The boy casually emerged from the shadows, dismissing her attitude with a sigh. "Yeah, you're welcome for parking your bike."

Nero hopped into the fight enthusiastically, immediately kicking a Hell into a wall and breaking its scythe. No matter how many times Lady complained how reckless he was with his strength, the kid always outdid himself. She didn't know if he was growing much stronger than expected in the last couple of years, to the point he would occasionally forget his limits, or deep inside he was still trying to compensate for his past self. Both possibilities were probably right, with the latter being the catalyst of the former. It was true that demons could evolve through sheer obsession, a desire that could not be contained by physical limitations. Some wanted to become the fastest hunters, faster than their legs could move. Others wanted to cast spells faster and faster. The one Lady kept an eye on wanted to be stronger.

At least she couldn't complain about lack of creativity in the way he fought. Nero recently discovered the joys of the television, inspiring him to create his own move, and the next day he was dropkicking demons in the face. Lady was sure that was the kind of progress his father would love to see after four years apart.

It didn't take long for them to kill all of the vermin in the sewers. Lady let Nero take care of the last enemies and went further down to examine the nest, searching for anything of value for trades and get an extra cash. After picking the good demonic parts she quickly stared packing, though Nero, who just arrived at the area, looked at her with a pout.

"That's not fair! I was still fighting when you took the good stuff!" He whined, using his Devil Bringer to move a broken steel door out of the way. "Can't believe I fell for this deal!"

"Not my fault _someone_ destroyed a window during a hunt. Besides, you're the one who insisted in getting your own money to pay for it."

"Shut up! I just want a new condition in the "everyone by themselves on the extra work" part of the contract. You always skip the little guys to snatch some treasure or kill the good bounties! I'm gonna... Sue you for this scam!"

"Well, I'm glad you're starting to learn how businesses work instead of fighting everyone that tries to steal you. The threats could use some work though." Lady hummed, ignoring the complaints Nero kept listing. "Now I know that drowning in debts is not a family trait."

"I'm starting to think he went to hell to run from a devil, not to fight one..."

Nero grumbled more frustrations while prying open a rusty gate, turning his attention to something shiny peeking under a fallen demonic casket and ignoring Lady's warn about getting caught causing more property damage. To his surprise, when he dug up the trash, he found a metallic shield shaped like angel wings, similar to those used by the Angelos.

Lady approached curiously, tracing her fingers on the face engraved on the shield. "That's a little different from the ones we found last week."

"Yeah. Guess I have more cockroaches to kill."

"I thought you already stopped the guys making them around here..."

"The Order of The Sword was a big cult, and my father only blew up their main base, so it's possible that there are a lot more ex-members hiding under our noses. Not to mention some of them come from the Underworld." Nero pondered. "Also, this is a pretty light and dull shield so its owner could have been a scouter looking the area."

Lady whistled after hearing the examination. "You've been doing a lot of homework lately. Still frustrated about this month's body count?"

"I told you that's not a problem!" The kid huffed, looking for more evidence to his theories. "The problem is that I'm still not strong enough. Not to keep my promise. Or to face him..."

There was a brief pause in the conversation that made the air heavier around them. That day, after defeating the the golden demon, Vergil approached Nero for one last talk in order to make a decision. Their voices were so low it was almost inaudible, like a silent request to not interfere, and both Dante and Lady complied no matter what happened.

"Are you strong enough? Strong to protect what matters to you? Strong to not let your doubts get in your way?"

Nero didn't need to say anything because both knew the answer. He could only look down, disappointed his weakness was holding Vergil back on his own journey.

Vergil put a hand on his son's shoulder to make him look at his eyes, awkwardly clearing his throat before he softly assured him. "Don't take it the wrong way, I don't regret my decision of offering you a hand. Do you regret yours?"

The frustration quickly faded from his face as he shook his head, remembering the day it all started for him, and why he accepted his father's hand. After a small, amicable conversation they decided each should walk their own path for a while, though Vergil gave him a couple of outrageous requests as a training regimen. First, he told the kid to slay all the Angelos in the human world. Not to repent himself, but to prove he could back the desire to do make a difference with his own strength. Then, he ordered to destroy all gates and cursed weapons he could find, while also reminding him to find his own Devil Arms. Lastly, Vergil promised he would test his resolve when he returned, challenging him to a fight, and he wouldn't hold back.

While Dante and Lady were baffled by such wild tasks, Nero was more than happy to accept them. Dante gave a small, pleading nod to Lady, silently asking her to take care of things for him. Vergil didn't seem to mind his brother's request, knowing that a child like Nero still needed some guidance. Before they left the human world, Vergil clenched his fist and gave one final advice, one without any of the fatherly tone he displayed earlier.

"One last thing. Your heart is yours alone. Do not give it to anyone, not even to me." He said out loud, like he wanted to make sure everyone could hear it. "It's your responsibility, no anyone else's."

With that both sons of Sparda disappeared, going on a mission to fight Mundus himself in his domain. At first, Nero was lost, unsure on his next steps after realizing he only knew the world through his father's eyes. But after Lady took him to Dante's office and gave him a couple of lessons about guns and demon hunting, he quickly adapted to the new life. It didn't take long before Nero became Lady's intern, as she would call him, and began working with her. And while Lady still preferred to hunt alone, she admitted that having someone to listen to her rambles and help her with little tasks was a nice change of pace.

As Nero reminisced about past memories in his mind, Lady swiftly grabbed the shield that was still on the ground.

"Hey!" Nero exclaimed in surprised.

"Finders keepers! You shouldn't sleep on the job." Lady played around, jogging towards the exit. "Bet some pawn shop will pay a lot for this!"

"That's my money!"

Lady gave his shield back when they reached the streets and teased that he would have to pay for breakfast in return. Nero complained about her money jokes, but still bought food anyway on the way to the shop, claiming he needed to prepare for another long day of hunting. The boy then looked at the shield, reminding himself that he has promise to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing characters in hypothetical scenarios is hard. This was supposed to be only a three part fic!  
> I promise I'll try to finish my other [fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22759525/chapters/54383479) as soon as my drawings don't look so embarrassing, but this one ends here. Once again thanks for reading!


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